Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: What Tomorrow Brings
by RemiScarlet58
Summary: Escaping their dark pasts, Togetic Elodie and her fiance Adam arrive in Murkmire, Estwell, one of the four countries of Aruvia. Once they've gotten used to their new lives, an entity calling itself Gemini plunges the continent into unnecessary war, with the Estwellans caught in the middle. With multiple forces pulling her strings, Elodie and her team struggle to cease the conflict.
1. Chap 1 Surviving in a Strange New Land

**Chapter 1. Surviving in a Strange New Land**

* * *

_Elodie's having the falling dream again. As always, it starts with her waking up to a blue sky punctuated by puffy white clouds. Then something shifts, and suddenly she's falling, falling through the clouds and down to the unknown abyss below. Her body is paralyzed, facing the sky, forced to watch as those cheerful clouds turn into distant pinpricks. She tries to flap her wings—please, why won't her own body work?!—but it's like she's a rock. She can't move. She can't even open her mouth to shout. All she can do is helplessly wait until she lands._

_But she doesn't._

* * *

"Elodie? Elodie!" a voice startled the Togetic out of her dream.

With a gasp Elodie awoke, the face of a worried Breloom encompassing her vision.

"We gotta go; they're back," Adam continued, hopping off the bed.

_That_ woke her up. It would do none of them any good if they got caught and arrested for breaking and entering; even if all they did was sleep in a warm bed for the night.

As Adam fiddled with the window latch, Elodie grabbed a small piece of parchment from the homeowners' desk next to the bed. Taking a pen, she scribbled a hasty, "Sorry!" before joining her fiancé at the window.

"Aha!" he grunted, and opened the window up completely. The chill of a crisp February morning drifted into the room, granting a shiver from Elodie. Despite his typing, Adam claimed to like the cold. Weirdo.

Elodie grabbed the wicker basket that held their precious Egg—a beautiful shade of cream, decorated with red and blue triangles—and fluttered down to the street outside.

Adam joined her soon after, wincing briefly as he landed on his feet. The bedroom may have been on the second floor, but the drop wasn't dangerous if one like Adam knew what they were doing.

The two Pokemon ran far from the scene of their crime, heading where? They didn't know. All they knew was to head as far from the house as possible before the owners raised the alarm.

"Were you having that dream again? You were shaking in your sleep," Adam panted as they ran.

"Uh-huh," Elodie gasped, and they came to a halt.

"Ha…This should be far enough…" Adam wheezed as the two paused to catch their breath. "Is the Egg okay?"

Elodie carefully unwrapped the Egg from its thin protective blanket and checked it all over for cracks. "No, it's fine. I wish I could get a better blanket for it though."

"Soon, we will. Are you heading to the job boards today?" Adam asked, coming over to help her rewrap it.

Yesterday, after the boat they'd stowed away on landed, they'd noticed a board with dungeon jobs tacked onto it as they explored the salty, shifty port town of Murkmire. It had been too dark to check them out then, but now the sun was shining brightly overhead.

"Yeah. Hopefully I can find a team to join. And good luck with your own search," Elodie nodded, giving Adam a quick hug.

He embraced her, drawing her closer for a kiss on her cheek. "You _will _find a team. And I'll find work too. Maybe someone will take pity on a poor, expecting Breloom."

Elodie giggled and passed him the basket before bidding him goodbye. She watched him go off into the crowds, a big dopey smile still on her face.

"Hehe…Now, where was that diner?"

* * *

The job boards were attached to a small diner in the heart of the city. Elodie had to wade through crowds upon crowds of dock workers, sailors, and other Pokemon going about their business. The buildings were weathered, built right next to each other, and everything had the permanent stench of brine. Elodie pressed her wings close to her sides as she peered up at the claustrophobic hovels.

So distracted was she, she didn't see the Kingler at the job boards until she'd bumped into him.

"Oh! Terribly sorry," she apologized. The Kingler waved it off with a massive claw.

"Don't worry bout it, dollface. …Looking for a job?"

"Yeah. I'd like to join a team, even if for a day. I'm rather short on cash," Elodie nodded, looking over the jobs posted.

'_Experienced explorer wanted'? Not me. 'Wanted: 100 Reviver Seeds'? Um…maybe after I join someone…_

"You willing to get your hands dirty, girl? Charm your opponent so you can get closer for a strike? 'Cause if so, you can join my group," the Kingler asked.

"Really?" Elodie said, her eyes going wide. She'd already found someone just like that?

"Yeah! We could use someone like you on our team. Are you free right now?"

Elodie beamed. "Yes!"

* * *

**Emerald Park**

The Park was about a mile and half out of town. Once she was outside Murkmire, Elodie inhaled a deep breath of fresh, salt-free air and stretched her wings. Ah, to be out and about in nature and not cooped up in town! Despite the chill, she was thrilled to be out where she preferred!

The Kingler led her down a dirt path lined with smooth gray stones to a small park. In the clearing grew flowers of all colors, with a small pond in the center surrounded by cattails guarding the water from intruders. The path encircled the pond, occasionally passing a flat stone bench. On the other side of the park were two thick maple trees heralding the entrance to the dungeon like wooden sentinels.

In front of the entrance were a Hawlucha and Druddigon, who stood when they saw the two approach.

"Yo, boss, who's that?" the Hawlucha asked.

"A gal looking for work. I figure she could help us with our little mission, and we give her some of the ah, _spoils._" the Kingler introduced.

"Hello," Elodie smiled, holding out her hand. The two men stared at it like it was a Cubchoo in a desert. Blushing, she retracted her arm.

"Ain't she a peach? Let's go, before his bodyguards get here," the Kingler chuckled. Without another word, the trio were enveloped in the dark dungeon entrance. Before she lost them, Elodie jumped in after them.

**B1F**

The smell of lavender was in the crisp noontime air. The dew-streaked grass tickled her feet while tiny bluebells caressed her legs. More bluebells and the lavender she'd smelled grew against the ivy-covered stone walls. There was a small puddle of water in the center of the room, cool and inviting. There were a few logs and stumps strewn around the floor, all covered in a thick blanket of moss.

As she gazed around the place, her eye caught a shimmer of gold lying in the corner. Poké! 45 Poké to be exact.

"We'll take that, missy. You'll get your cut at the end," Kingler said, snatching the coins right out of her hands. It didn't seem like the trio was going to introduce themselves, so she resolved to refer to them by their species.

"But—" she started to protest but was interrupted.

"Now let's go over the plan, 'kay? You hang back and keep us from getting kicked out, or the target from running. If he tries? Stop him. Got it?" Kingler said.

'Target'? Oh no…Suddenly a lot of things she'd ignored were starting to make uncomfortable sense.

"Got it. Who's the mark?" she nodded, trying to keep herself from bolting right then and there. She moved to Aruvia to get _away_ from crime syndicates, not join another one! At least she knew how to act around them.

"Some schmuck named Gumshoos. Some cousin or whatever of the local magistrate. But thanks to his family he's got a lot of money in the bank. We're here to requisition it before his bodyguards figure out where he slipped off to," Hawlucha snickered.

It was just as she'd feared. Oblivious, desperate Elodie joined a robbery gang. How was she to get out of this? And save the poor guy?

"Oi, heads up. Oddish at 3 o'clock," Druddigon warned. To Elodie he added, "Go on, girlie. Show us you can handle yourself."

"Okay…" she said doubtfully, stepping up to the approaching Oddish.

Concentrating on her inner power, she waggled her fingers back and forth. Her Metronome responded, twin orbs of light appearing on her fingertips, unknown power ready to be unleashed.

"Ha!" she yelled, releasing the power. The art of sleight of hand filled her, and she dove forth, tackling the Oddish while subtly Thieving away the Poké it had apparently been holding.

While her move had been successful, it didn't appear to do much to the Oddish.

"Pfft, weak," Hawlucha snorted, he and Druddigon taking down the Oddish with Aerial Ace and Dragon Breath before it could react. "Boss, you sure this girl is worth it? She can't even hurt a simple Oddish!"

Kingler studied the blushing Elodie. "What moves _do_ you know, kid?"

"Uh, Metronome, Magical Leaf, Sweet Kiss, and Yawn, sir," she mumbled, staring at the floor.

"Hm. Just stick to Sweet Kiss and Yawn. Could come in handy. Let's go, you lot. Gumshoos won't be alone forever," he shrugged.

Elodie snuck a peek at the Poké she'd swiped while their backs were turned to her. 86 Poké. Not much, but it was 86 more than she had this morning. It'd pay for a couple days' worth of meals. An extra day, if she and Adam were careful. And if she was too weak for even this place…A faint smile came across her face.

Then maybe she could "accidentally" get them kicked out.

**B2F**

Not too long after they started navigating the floor, they came across a Spinarak guarding an Oran Berry in a small room. Eager to fight, Elodie dove forward, charging up her Metronome.

Her teeth grew larger, turning into purple Fangs dripping with Poison. She sunk her elongated teeth deep into the Spinarak's leg, injecting her poison into its bloodstream.

…Of course, the poison was immediately disintegrated upon contact with another poison type's blood, and the Spinarak shrugged off the attack and spat a volley of needle-sharp Poison Stings into her face. Elodie shrieked through a mouthful of Spinarak leg, and released her prey, her teeth returning to normal.

"I got it," Hawlucha said, defeating the Spinarak with two swoops of Aerial Ace.

Elodie finished plucking out the last Sting with a sharp inhale. Ugh, that had been all for nothing! How was she ever to get herself KO'd when her teammates were around to save her?!

Druddigon picked her up by the head in one meaty hand and set her in the very back of the group. "Stay there, kid. You'll be safer in the rear."

Inwardly she seethed, but gave him an understanding nod and apologetic smile.

**B3F**

"Why do you keep diving right into fights you can't win, girlie?!" Kingler exclaimed after saving her from a knockout blow for the umpteenth time. "You trying to get us kicked out?"

"No!" she protested. "I just…feel bad. I feel like I'm not earning my keep. I want to prove to you guys that I can fight alongside you."

Kingler laughed, and patted her head. "You hear that, guys? She wants to earn her keep!" More gently, he added, "Listen, kid. I admire your enthusiasm, but the way you can help us tough guys out is by hanging back and blowing Kisses and Yawning at Gumshoos. None of us have any of those types of moves, and your assistance will be the key to taking him down. You hear me?"

She smiled sadly. "I hate to say it, but you're right. I'll stay behind the front lines."

Her head was patted again. She wished to tell him she was not a child, but bit her tongue.

"Atta girl!"

**B4F**

Elodie's pulse quickened the moment they arrived on this floor. Gumshoos was here. She could feel it; there was a distinct sense of _not-alone_ permeating the air. By the looks of her teammates, they felt it too. Their faces grew hard, all joking ceased. All that remained was ruthless silence.

This was it! She _had_ to faint before they found Gumshoos! She hung back, letting the group walk further and further away. Out of nowhere her back was razed three or four times by sharp claws. She yelped, spinning around to find that a Paras had snuck up behind her. She spotted a Caterpie coming out of an adjacent hallway. Her spirits lifted; these two Pokemon were knocking her out no matter what!

Taking a quick peek behind her to make sure her teammates weren't watching, she allowed herself to be Fury Swiped once, twice, three times! The third round had her stumbling backwards, crying out in pain.

"Hey, you fighting back there?" Kingler called from up ahead.

"Y-yeah, but I'm being careful this time. Just nailed a Sweet Kiss," she called back.

"Gotta make this look good," she whispered, waggling her fingers in a synchronized Metronome.

Her left hand suddenly crackled with electric energy; an entire thunderstorm contained in just one punch. With a shout she cracked her Thunder Punch across the Paras' jaw, the force of the blow causing a cloud of spores to erupt from the Paras's mushrooms.

Elodie inhaled the spores—and doubled over coughing, her stomach suddenly tied in knots. Her energy was inexplicably sapped, and she had an odd craving for soup and orange juice.

_Yes! Thank you, Effect Spore!_ She grinned inwardly. As long as she didn't eat a Pecha Berry, Heal Seed, or go to the next floor, she'd get them all kicked out in no time. Unless the thieves had Reviver Seeds, but Elodie tried to be optimistic.

As she coughed away in the plume of spores, the Paras' Caterpie friend helped out by spitting String Shot at her feet—effectively gluing her to the floor.

Thank_ you! _She tried to smile, but a fresh wave of nausea turned it into a wince. She could feel her health be sapped away, bit by bit. Just a few more minutes…

"Hey, the girl's in trouble!"

"Well, go help her out real quick!"

Oh no, her teammates were coming to save her!

"Quick, hit me, _please!_" she hissed at her two foes, who certainly needed no encouragement.

Taking advantage of the sick, ensnared Togetic, they double-teamed her with a Tackle from the Caterpie right into a frenzy of Fury Swipes from the Paras. Each blow sent a fresh tidal wave of agony through her poisoned head. Her vision was going blurry, she could hardly see beyond her own discomfort. She couldn't have dodged the attacks even if she wanted to.

"Get off her!" she heard Hawlucha grunt from somewhere nearby. The green blur that used to be the Caterpie disappeared, while the orange blob gave her arm one final Swipe.

And with that, her vision went completely black.

* * *

Ugh, being poisoned was more unpleasant than she would've liked. Elodie woke outside the dungeon, cradling her arm with a wince as she sat up.

"Well look who finally decided to wake up," Hawlucha spat. He and the others were huddled nearby, staring at her with accusing glares.

"You guys didn't have any Reviver Seeds?" Elodie groaned as she got to her feet. The poison may have left her system, but she was still feeling lethargic.

"No! We're a high-class gang, kid; we don't need any! Why didn't you call for help?!" Druddigon snapped.

"I inhaled a mouthful of Effect Spore just as I was about to! Then the frickin' Caterpie showed up! Didn't you hear me coughing up my lungs?" Elodie contested, throwing her arms into the air.

"Ugh, thanks to you we've failed the mission. Gumshoos' entourage will be here any second. Boss, let's just gut her and leave," Druddigon hissed.

Elodie gasped and took a step back, adrenaline flooding through her tired body. _Kill_ her?! Surely they couldn't be that upset!

Kingler chuckled, and reached out to cradle her cheek with a massive claw. "And damage this pretty face? That'd be a disservice to the world. Besides, this little lady may not be strong, but she's a smart cookie. She wouldn't blab to the cops when she herself was an accomplice, _would she_?"

"Of course not!" she affirmed adamantly, shaking her head.

"See boys? We've got nothing to worry about. Now let's bounce before Gumshoos' party gets here. I'm real sorry, dollface, but my friends are right: you're not a good fit for our group," Kingler said. As the trio of goons headed for the trees, Kingler looked back over his shoulder. "Remember, girl: one word to the cops and I'll personally cut you from gut to gob."

"You've got nothing to fear from me!" Elodie agreed.

She waited until the last of the group had disappeared into the trees before letting out a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding.

"Ha…glad that's over," she sighed in relief. "Maybe it'd be better if I posted my own ad…"

She followed the dirt path until she reached Murkmire, fighting the waves of Pokemon coming and going until she found the job board. Swiping a napkin from a nearby vendor, Elodie wrote up her request: '_Hi, I'm Elodie, and I'm looking to join a team. My skills lie primarily in supporting my teammates and inflicting statuses upon opponents. If anyone is interested, I'll check here each day at sunrise, noon, and sunset.'_

"Oh, there you are, El!" she heard Adam call from nearby just as she'd tacked the napkin onto the board. She looked over to see him walk towards her, Egg basket in hand.

"Any luck?" she asked, but she could already tell by his face he'd had none.

"No," he sighed, leaning against the building in defeat. "The metalsmith isn't hiring, and the woodworkers said to come back when I could whittle a stick into more than just a pointy one."

Elodie gave him a hug. "What about you?" he asked.

Now it was her turn to sigh. "I was an idiot. I accidentally joined a group of robbers. I managed to finagle out of it while saving the mark, but still, I should have caught on _before_ I took the job! *Sigh* But I was so excited, I ignored all the red flags."

Adam leaned up and gave her a quick kiss on the forehead. "You try to see the good in everything. My sweet little Cinnamon."

She laughed and pulled out the Poké she'd stashed away earlier. With her getting kicked out, it had dropped from 86 to 58 Poké. "I did manage to sneak this out from underneath their noses. It's not much, but it'll get us dinner and breakfast."

Adam's eyes lit up, and he stood. "Great job, El! C'mon, let's go walk around the docks and look for a place to eat. Don't worry about bedtime; I've already staked out a spot."

And so, the two Pokemon wandered around the pier as the sun began its descent, painting the ocean brilliant shades of orange and yellow amidst a dark blue-green. They decided to splurge and buy an extra-large container of noodles from a praised noodle vendor for 30 Poké, which they shared between themselves with much gusto. It had been a few weeks since they'd eaten fresh hot food, and every savory mouthful was appreciated.

They sat on the beach in silent contentedness, their Egg nestled in its basket between them, slurping their noodles and watching the sun go down. Today hadn't been very successful, but they were hopeful tomorrow would bring fresh cheer.

Elodie and Adam rested their heads against each other's, cradling their Egg together. As long as they had each other, everything would be alright.


	2. Chapter 2

Noon found Elodie, Adam, and the Egg sitting at a table outside the diner, in full view of the job boards. They'd been there since dawn, but so far no one asked for Elodie. There'd certainly been plenty of Pokemon tacking up requests and others taking them, but hers had gone unanswered.

Elodie craned her neck, staring down the street as if she could will a team to her side out of thin air. Beside her, Adam sipped at herbal tea while he read the morning newspaper, examining the classifieds.

"You want a sip? You're making the table shake," he asked after suffering five minutes of Elodie's jitters.

"No thanks, I'm full from my own. Sorry. I'm just so nervous that no one will want me. Or worse, it'll be a repeat of yesterday only except I'm actually _trying_!" Elodie buried her head in her hands.

"Is there a simple request you can take until then? Something to prove you're worth it?" Adam asked.

"I don't know. Let me see," Elodie replied, hopping up to peek at the board. A scary amount were asking for someone to reclaim an item that was stolen, or to protect someone during exploration. Elodie skipped the latter; she was hardly sure she could defend herself, let alone some stranger!

However, she did spy a request that seemed easy even for her. Apparently, there was a market shortage of Reviver Seeds in town, and the client—a Jumpluff—needed only a single Seed by dusk. She went on to say that she worked at the fish markets and would receive the Seed there.

Elodie tore the note from the board, bringing it over to Adam. "Found one!"

"Same!" he exclaimed too, slamming his cup on the table. "Look here, a craftsman in some place called Briar's Creek is retiring soon and wants to sell his shop! I bet I could get in on the void he's leaving."

"Does it say what he works with?"

"…No, but if it's wood then maybe he'll apprentice me. If it's metal—" Adam cracked his knuckles, "—Then he's leaving his store in good hands."

He jumped to his feet, leaning in for a quick kiss as he took the Egg basket. "I'm going to find out some more info about that area. Meet you here later?"

"Sure. Oh, take the rest of the Poké; you may need it."

"Will do. See you later, Cinnamon!"

* * *

**Emerald Park**

Though Elodie was eager to prove herself—minus the company of shady Pokemon—she sat down on one of the benches when she arrived at the Park, shivering at the touch of the cold stone. Spring couldn't get here fast enough.

_I'm glad Adam's found something,_ she thought to herself, nudging a pebble with her foot. _I just wish I could. I don't mean to be jealous, but…I don't know if I can cut it, being an explorer. Maybe I'm doomed for a lifetime of waitressing. _

She took out the Jumpluff's request, staring at the paper for a minute before getting up.

_Mom always said to never settle for mediocrity. I'll see how this goes._

**B1F**

She took a deep breath, enjoying the scent of lavender filling her lungs.

"I can do this. I can. It's just one Reviver Seed," she said to herself.

The only path lay east, and it led straight to a Caterpie and some Poké.

_Okay, first real fight. No one to act for but myself,_ she thought, blowing the Caterpie a Sweet Kiss.

A tiny pair of pink lips sprung from her own, fluttering through the air until they came to rest on the Caterpie's cheek. Its eyes became glossy and it tried to Tackle the wall, gaining nothing except a bruise on its head.

"Ha!" Elodie shouted, waggling her fingers. She swept her arm around in front of her, conjuring three purple ghost flames. The Will-o-Wisps hurtled for the Caterpie, singeing its side.

The Caterpie turned and tried to Tackle again, hitting only air.

"Another!" Elodie continued. Mysterious power awoke within.

_Pick it up,_ she commanded telepathically, raising her hand. A pink outline surrounded the Caterpie, and it floated into the air. Elodie shifted her hand sharply to the left, and the Caterpie was viciously slammed against the wall. Just as quickly as it came, the Psychic power left, and Elodie returned to normal.

The Caterpie broke out of its confusion and Tackled her in payback. Only, it was trying to be careful about its burn, so the attack didn't have as much punch as it usually would. Elodie blew another Kiss, followed by yet another Metronome.

Her wings shone with strength, and she dove for the little Pokemon, striking it with her Wing Attack. Confused, it tried to Tackle her yet again, but accidentally hit the wall instead. It disappeared without a trace.

"Hey, I did it!" Elodie exclaimed, landing on the ground. It had taken a bit of effort, but she had defeated a dungeon Pokemon all by herself!

She picked up the Poké and headed to the next room, which turned out to not only be a dead end, but the Stair room. And better yet, there was more Poké!

**B2F**

A search of the entire floor yielded no Reviver Seeds, more Poké, and minimal enemies. Thankfully she had only encountered Caterpies and Wurmples; foes she could take on by herself.

During her scouring she'd come across the Stair room. She stopped in her tracks when she reentered the room after finishing her search. There, skittering towards her, was a Paras.

Elodie bit her lip. Could she take this guy on? Well, she was about to find out.

She blew a quick Kiss, little pink lips fluttering across the no man's land. The Paras moved out of the way, and the Kiss landed harmlessly on a flower. The Mushroom shook itself, spraying a plume of Poison Powder at her.

Elodie held her breath as the cloud approached. Unbeknownst to her until too late, the Poison Powder seeped into her bloodstream, unbarred by her skin barrier. To her horror, nausea arrived, swift and merciless.

The Paras needed to be neutralized before she fainted. It was coming at her, claws ready for some Furious Swiping. Despite her nausea, she managed to Yawn—from out of her mouth came an ordinary-looking bubble. The bubble floated lazily to the approaching Paras, where it popped it front of its face. For a second the Paras paused, its eyelids beginning to droop. But it fought off its drowsiness, and was on Elodie in a second, scratching and clawing at her torso.

She half-moaned, half-wailed, too ill to do anything but take the blows.

At last her Yawn kicked in, and the Paras fell sound asleep. Alright, now Elodie had some breathing room!

"Come on Metronome, work with me," she gasped, sinking to her knees as the poison continued to circulate.

Her Metronome forced her to bellow a guttural Howl. The shout invigorated her, and she felt new strength arrive. How the Paras didn't wake up from that, she didn't know.

"Well, it's something," she shrugged before a stomach cramp seized her.

Wait, what was she doing fighting when she could head for the Stairs unabated?! Elodie took a step towards the Stairs, fighting a wave of nausea. She shouldn't have used Metronome while poisoned; it had only wasted precious energy. Step by step, coughing and gagging, she made her way to the Stairs. Her vision was blurry, every step a struggle.

She practically fell down the Stairs once she'd reached them.

**B3F**

Instantly her nausea evaporated, gone like it had never existed in the first place.

_Thank you, dungeon rules,_ Elodie thought with a wince as she picked herself up. Without them she would've been waking up outside again.

Though the poison may be gone, she still had her injuries sustained on the previous floor. Her poor stomach was covered in scratches and bruises from where she'd taken attacks. She grimaced. She'd have to avoid fights for a while until she recovered.

She went north, passing through two rooms before coming across the coveted Reviver Seed.

"Yes! Now I just have to…make my way….till the end…Ugh, really, Elodie?! You couldn't have thought to find out how many floors there were?!" she groaned, slapping herself on the forehead.

Now she _really_ couldn't get KO'd; who knew if she'd ever find another Reviver Seed?

Sighing, she had no choice but to continue onward. Maybe she'd get lucky and find an Escape Orb.

But luck was not on her side. Coming from an adjacent hallway into the room she was in were not only a Paras, but a Spinarak as well. Panic seized Elodie. She couldn't even take on ONE Paras, let alone an accompanied one!

There was only one option: flee. Elodie took to the air, as high as the dungeon would let her. Her height advantage would make dodging attacks easier. She turned and fled, back to the room where the Seed had been, down a new hall in the hopes it would lead to the Stairs.

She heard chittering behind her. She peeked back to see a cloud of poisonous spores wafting towards her as the Paras and Spinarak gave chase.

Elodie pumped her wings, just managing to keep ahead of the dangerous cloud. Down a hall, around a corner, into a room with halls on the left and right she went. Which way? Which way?

Another spore cloud was coming at her, this one golden-yellow. One touch, and she'd crash to the floor like a rock. Right it was!

She flew right, blowing a Sweet Kiss behind her, not looking back to see if it hit.

Aha! She could see the Stairs at the end of the hall! Though her wings were starting to ache, she flapped with all her might. This Seed was getting delivered no matter what!

…She made it!

**B4F**

Fortunately for her, there were no Pokemon in this room. Only precious Stairs.

Panting, Elodie took a few minutes to catch her breath and rest her wings, lying down on the cool, soft grass. She really needed to work out more…

**B5F**

Here to herald her entrance was a Spinarak, who glued her feet to the ground with String Shot.

"Huh? Whoa!" Elodie said, tripping. The Spinarak was on her, spitting a storm of Poison Stings at her.

Elodie shrieked at the super-effective attack, shielding her head with her hand. She flapped her wings, and a flurry of Magical Leaves were flung at the Spinarak. It didn't do much in the way of damage, but it did make the Stings stop coming.

Elodie carefully got to her feet, blowing a Sweet Kiss. The Spinarak flung up a rock, rendering the Kiss useless. A red wave of malevolent energy emanated from the foe, knocking Elodie backwards. She landed painfully on her hands, shuddering from the lingering effects of the Night Shade.

Sitting back up, she waggled her fingers. Out of thin air came a shower of thick, fluffy cotton. The cotton clung to her body, giving her a strong, albeit soft coat of armor.

The Spinarak shot off more Poison Stings. Most were stopped by the Cotton Guard protecting Elodie, but a couple still stung her face. It took a step forward, sending out another pulse of Night Shade.

"STOP IT!" Elodie shouted, getting knocked down for the third time. Everything hurt; that Night Shade went right through Cotton Guard like it didn't exist!

She stayed down but gave a big Yawn. The bubble floated over, popping in the Spinarak's face. Yes! Now maybe she could turn the tables! The Spinarak certainly wasn't going to sleep without a fight; it launched yet another volley of Poison Stings. A few pricked her hands, her feet, a wing. It was only by some miracle none of the attacks had poisoned her; she'd certainly had had enough of _that_ today!

The Spinarak slumped to the floor, sound asleep. Now Elodie could stand without fear. Three subsequent Metronomes gave her Water Gun, Spore, and Sand Tomb. One of which was completely useless, but the others whittled away at the Spinarak's health.

She could see its eyes starting to open. She summoned the energy for an extra-special Metronome, utilizing her Hustle.

_Please, give me something good!_

A long tail made of the essence of _steel_ grew from the lower end of her spine. She jumped in the air at the awakening Spinarak, tearing her feet from the String Shot. She somersaulted mid-air, slamming her Iron Tail down upon it with all her might. With a cry, the Spinarak was finally defeated.

Panting, Elodie flopped down against a log, picking strands of String Shot off her feet.

"Oh, why did I even think I could do this? I can't beat a Paras, and I can hardly beat a Spinarak. I need to get out of here before I get knocked out. *Sigh* But I can't find an Escape Orb, and I don't know how much longer there is to go here. And I can't get knocked out because I'd lose some of this money. And we can't afford to lose it. What am I going to do?"

She buried her head in her hands, sniffling quietly.

_Someone else is here._

That distinct _presence_ was back. Elodie looked up. Who was here with her? An exploration team? Or maybe those goons from yesterday?

Elodie had to risk it being another criminal. She called out to the unknown traveler(s), hoping they were close enough to hear.

"Heard ya! We're coming!" she heard a deep, male voice call back.

Elodie's spirits lifted, and she quickly dried her eyes. After a minute, an Arcanine, Camerupt, Lurantis, and Electrike entered the room she was in.

"Are you the one who called?" the Arcanine inquired.

Elodie nodded, spotting the badges they wore. "I am. I was trying to do a quest here by myself, but this place is a little too tough for me. You guys wouldn't happen to be an exploration team, would you?"

"Yeah, but we don't do rescues; we fight outlaws. Sorry, miss," the Electrike apologized. The Arcanine put his paw over his teammate's mouth.

"Don't mind him. Yes, we're an exploration team. Need a beam out?"

"Yes!" Elodie exclaimed. A thought occurred to her, and she handed him the Jumpluff's request and Seed. "Here. _Actual _explorers should get the credit, not some wannabe."

The quartet stared at her. "…You sure about that?" the Lurantis asked. Elodie nodded, and the Arcanine shook her hand.

"A'ight. Well, thanks, miss. Mind meeting us back at the Exploration Federation building later? If you're facing the job boards, you head three blocks to the right…"

* * *

She found Adam back at the diner, sitting in the same place he had been this morning. He brightened when he saw her.

"How'd it go?" he asked, getting to his feet.

"Awful. The dungeon was too strong, and I had to get rescued by a passing exploration team. That reminds me, we need to go to the Exploration Federation building. Follow me."

As they walked, she told the whole story to Adam, ending on a positive note by showing him the 253 Poké she'd picked up. She left out her lingering doubts, and before he could comment she asked him about his research gathering.

Adam, meanwhile, had had a fantastic afternoon. The merchants told him that Briar's Creek held one metalsmith, but he was retiring—the very Pokemon who posted the classified ad. The riverside town was 3 days' travel by carriage or air, but a lengthy 3 ½-week trip by foot. The 280 Poké they had wouldn't even get them a day's ride from a carriage, but would pay for an inn for one, maybe two nights. It was almost a complete straight-shot from Murkmire to Briar's Creek, with many watering holes and inns along the way. And according to Adam, Briar's Creek was a popular dungeoneer hotspot. He claimed it would be a great place for her to meet plenty of potential teams.

She only replied, "Yeah, maybe."

Soon Elodie and Adam arrived at the Federation building. Just like the Arcanine had said, there was three large flags hanging above the doors; one red, one blue, one green.

Speaking of the Arcanine, he and his team were already inside, hanging around a Vileplume seated at a desk. They hailed Elodie as the duo entered.

"Hey, kid! Glad you made it back to town! Come here a sec; you gotta fill out some quick paperwork for us," the Arcanine called.

"Alright dahlin', you just write down a summary of the events leadin' up to yer rescue, and that's it now!" the Vileplume said in a thick, tangy drawl as she passed a sheet of paper to Elodie.

"We can't get credit for your rescue unless you do," the Lurantis added.

Made sense. Elodie obliged and was told she was free to leave.

"Thanks again," she said, all six of them exiting the building. "I'm not sure how much longer I would've lasted."

"We don't normally do rescues, but hey, a good deed is a good deed," the Arcanine shrugged.

"Um, would you guys mind if I gave you an IOU for, I don't know, a Reviver Seed? I can't pay you back right now."

"If you want. We're not picky," the Camerupt laughed.

"Take care," the Electrike said.

Elodie waited until their backs were turned before letting her smile fall. She'd certainly never be as successful as those Pokemon. Who'd ever want a weak Togetic on their team?

"Wanna get dinner?" Adam asked, nudging her.

"No, I think I'm ready for bed."


	3. Chapter 3

**Volt Vault**

**B4F**

"Au-ugh!" Elodie grunted, falling to her knees after getting zapped yet again by someone's Thunder Shock.

One of her teammates, Rampardos, knocked away the Minun she was fighting with a great sweep of her head and stormed over to help. "I'm coming, Elodie!"

On the other side of the chamber, their other teammate Machamp was busy holding a Rhyhorn at bay.

"Atta girl, Rammy! I'll keep this brute off ya!" he called over his shoulder, all four of his hands dedicated to keeping his captive still.

Feeling a headache coming on, Elodie slowly got to her feet, cursing herself for agreeing to go inside an electric dungeon.

Earlier that morning, she'd been approached by the duo at the diner. They were eager to have someone like her on their team. They were gold-ranked outlaw hunters named Team Rock Solid who loved pulling punches, but had zero supportive attacks. Currently the trio were in a dungeon named Volt Vault, which was located a stone's throw away from Murkmire.

As the name implied, electric types and Pokemon with Lightning Rod made their home in these saffron halls. Jagged and coarse, the golden walls felt like stone, but had the conductivity of metal. Whenever Elodie touched them, she received a brief shock of static for her trouble. The floors were made of mahogany tiles shaped like hexagons. Pebbled were scattered about, and the only good thing about this place was that it was blessedly warm inside.

Team Rock Solid and Elodie were currently chasing an outlaw who had stolen 800 Poké from a shopkeeper shortly before dawn. All the victim could say was that the culprit was green and had wings.

Unfortunately, Volt Vault by itself was too much for Elodie to handle. Add in electric-types, and it was no one's surprise that she'd used up four Reviver Seeds already.

"YAH!" Rampardos roared, Headbutting the Jolteon attacking Elodie into oblivion.

Before Elodie could thank her, a surprise Electro Ball from the ignored Minun made her vision go black in an instant.

_Vree!_

Her view turned a blinding white, and before she knew it was back in the dungeon, hale and hearty. Machamp and Rampardos had already taken care of the remaining foes.

Elodie groaned, and flopped onto her back. "You guys should just give me an Escape Orb. I'm no good here."

"Hey, buck up, kiddo! We here at Team Rock Solid DO! NOT! GIVE UP! ON OTHERS!" Machamp roared suddenly, flexing an arm with each exclamation. Elodie jolted at the drastic change in volume, and Rampardos picked her up and set her back on her feet.

"YEAH!" Rampardos cheered with equal enthusiasm, stomping her feet. "We support one another! And We'll support YOU!"

A flash of pain struck her head. Elodie quickly agreed, lest her headache get any worse.

**B5F**

"So, Elodie, ya haven't told us about yourself," Machamp said conversationally as he batted a Plusle's Electro Ball into the wall.

Elodie had no time to answer; she had her own enemy to worry about! She flattened herself against the ground, just narrowly missing a Shinx's Spark soaring over her. Keeping an eye on the energetic Pokemon, she got to her feet.

"Um, well, I'm from the country of Loresh, across the SEA!" she shouted that last word as the Shinx came by for another round of Spark. She took to the air, again evading the devastating (to her) attack.

"Oh yeah? What brings you here to Estwell?" Rampardos asked as she literally butted heads with a Rhyhorn.

Elodie waggled her fingers, and a bright green dome of Protective energy surrounded her. "Well, me and my fiancé wanted to raise our Egg in a better place…"

"WOW! Hitched AND expecting?! You're barely an adult!" Machamp exclaimed, putting the Plusle down with a Brick Break.

Elodie blushed, and laughed quietly. "21 isn't _that_ young."

"She's right, Machamp. We're too old. To our aged eyes, children look like babies, and adults look like children," Rampardos sighed jokingly as she tossed Machamp a Cheri Berry.

Elodie laughed—and got hit head-on by the Shinx's Spark. She'd been so caught up in the conversation she forgot to watch out for the feisty feline.

_Vree!_

"Kid, you've gotta stop doing that!" Machamp shook his head.

**B6F**

"Ergh!" Machamp winced as soon as they arrived on the floor. A Magnemite was lying seemingly in wait, and nailed him with a Thunder Shock.

Without thinking, Elodie blew a Sweet Kiss. The Magnemite was so focused on the larger Pokemon, it didn't notice Elodie.

The Kiss landed right next to its eye. The singular eye started glancing in every direction. It made a whirring noise, and tried to ram into a foe that wasn't there beside it.

Machamp and Rampardos immediately got to work. A Brick Break and Assurance later, the Magnemite was no more.

"See Elodie, you GOT this!" Rampardos cheered, stomping on the ground in emphasis.

Elodie blushed, ducking her head as she laughed. After doing so poorly in this awful place, the praise was sorely needed.

"C'mon, let's go find another one for ya!" Machamp agreed, clapping her on the back so hard she fell down.

"Oh no, I'm…and they're gone," Elodie said as she watched their backs turn down a hallway. She groaned, but followed.

**B7F**

Someone—the outlaw?—was here. The trio could feel it.

_Ping!_ Went the badges on their chests, confirming their suspicions.

Elodie tensed up, but Machamp and Rampardos only cracked their knuckles and strode forward with big grins.

"So, uh…where is he?" Elodie asked, fluttering tentatively behind the duo. The prospect of battling an actual outlaw was…daunting. She'd dreamed of similar circumstances for years, but to actually _be _in that situation—!

"Somewhere around here. Guess we gotta find him before he finds the Stairs. Well ladies, we'll be planting our fists solely on his face soon! Green with wings. Ain't no dungeon Pokemon like that in here; he'll stick out like a sore thumb," Machamp cackled, pounding a fist into a meaty hand.

"YEAH! LET'S DO THIS!" Rampardos roared, tucking in her head and charging forward. With a whoop and a holler, Machamp chased after her, pumping his fists in the air.

"Yeah…" Elodie grimaced, but sped up after them.

The trio scoured the dungeon floor, taking note of all Pokemon they came across. So far everyone belonged in the dungeon. None were green, or had wings.

Upon arriving in the chamber with the Stairs, Machamp told the others to move ahead, as he would stand guard and make sure the outlaw didn't escape.

"Right." "OH-KAY!" Elodie and Rampardos agreed. They turned, only to find themselves face-to-face with a Yanmega.

It took her and Rampardos a second to realize this new enemy fit the description of their suspect.

"F-Found him!" Elodie shouted, frozen in shock.

Before she could blink Yanmega was on her, Slashing cruelly at her wings with the ebony power of Night. Elodie howled, fanning her wings to see the damage. There were two clean cuts across them. She flapped gingerly, discovering she could still fly if she was careful.

"Go Elodie! He's getting away! I'll stand guard!" Machamp shouted, planting himself firmly in front of the Stairs.

"Uh, yes!" Elodie bit her lip, but took off after the speeding outlaw.

Ugh, he was so much faster than her! He zipped and zoomed through the dungeon, always ten steps ahead of the injured Elodie and hulky Rampardos.

"I'll cut him off!" she heard Rampardos call from below. A few seconds later, she popped out from an adjacent corridor, forcing Yanmega to go down a corridor they already knew was a dead-end.

"You're a genius!" Elodie exclaimed, catching up to them. Yanmega was cornered, and Rampardos was closing in. She sped up despite the burning pain in her wings and started to waggle her fingers.

"Heh, take this!" Yanmega cackled, glancing up to face her. His wings began to glow a cool sky blue, and a powerful flap sent two blue saw-like discs whizzing right for her.

Elodie gasped, and scrambled to a halt mid-flight. Too late! She was too close to the Yanmega to be able to avoid his Air Slash. The Slashes tore at her wings, right across the scratches she'd won from his Night Slash.

She squeezed her eyes shut and howled with pain before plummeting to the ground.

* * *

The next thing she knew, she was back outside. A pang of alarm shot through her.

"Oh no!" she gasped, sitting up immediately. Then she winced, for the janky movement caused a jolt of pain to run through her poor wings.

Gingerly she spread them, taking note of the damage. On the front of both were near-identical cuts shaped like a wonky 'X'. She moaned, burying her head in her hands. First she failed yet again, and now she was grounded for a couple days.

"I'm so sorry!" she sobbed upon seeing Rampardos and Machamp walk over. "I didn't mean to faint!"

She accepted Machamp's outstretched hand, taking care not to jostle her wings as she stood.

"I'm really sorry guys, but…I don't think I'm cut out for Team Rock Solid. You're so much stronger than me; I'm just a burden. Taking me along would only slow you down. You're better off without me."

"Oh, we agree wholeheartedly!" Machamp boomed. Elodie looked down at the ground, hiding her shame. They decided just like that, huh?

"We've been talking while you were out," Rampardos continued. "And yeah, you make a good point: you're not an experienced outlaw hunter. In our line of work, there's no room for weak links. And sorry Elodie, but you're a weak link."

"But hey, in the future once ya get stronger, and ya wanna take down a baddie together, just say the word!" Machamp added with a hearty flex.

Even though they all agreed it was for the best, Elodie's heart still ached. But she swallowed her pride and gave them a sad smile. "No hard feelings, then?"

"None!" the two hunters exclaimed.

"If ya don't mind, we're gonna try and see if Yanmega's still in there. You remember the way back to town from here?" Machamp asked.

"Yeah."

"Cool. Well, good luck, Elodie!" Rampardos beamed as she and her teammate stomped back inside the Vault.

She held her smile for a moment before bursting into tears.

"I can't do this!" she howled, plopping down to the cold stone ground. "I hate this! I hate everything!"

She sat there sobbing for a few minutes until the tears stopped flowing. Sniffling and wiping her nose, she got to her feet. "Adam…"

* * *

Elodie arrived back in Murkmire just as the first hints of sunset began to peek across the horizon. She'd taken her time coming back to the awful, crowded seaside town. Once again, she was swept up in the waves of pedestrians, fighting amongst the river of bodies as they jostled her this way and that.

_I hate this town. I hate the cold. I hate every single one of you,_ she thought miserably as a Kricketune slammed past her without so much as an apology. _I want to get out of here._

Finally she broke free of the crowd, popping out onto the terrace in front of the diner. She went inside, ordered a drink, and sat down at the front window, watching the crowd go by. The warmth of the chocolate drink did little to soothe her spirit on this awful day. She cupped her mug with both hands, letting the heat sink into her, hoping that with the heat would come respite.

_I wonder if we can spare the money for a coat, _she mused, taking a sip of her drink. She grimaced, and shook her head. _No, if coat prices here are anything like they were back home, I'd better just look for some mittens, or a scarf. _

Adam arrived with their Egg right as she finished her cocoa. Seeing her face, his joyful expression faltered. "Again?"

She groaned. "Thanks, Adam, for reminding me of my failures."

He set the Egg basket down on the table and embraced her. She jolted with a gasp as he inadvertently pressed up against the wounds on her wings. Adam let go immediately, and spotted her injured wings.

"I'm so sorry! What happened?!"

"I got my team kicked out again, that's what happened! I'm starting to think I'm just a waitress. A waitress with silly little dreams."

"Hey, hey. So you haven't found the right fit yet. Did you really expect to find your dream team on the first try? And what about the exploration thing next month? There'll be a bunch of potential teammates there!" Adam said gently, patting her shoulder.

Elodie made a face. "You keep bringing that up. Fine, whatever, we'll move already. You can get your metal shop, or something. I don't care."

Adam took a step back, putting his hands on his hips. "I'm trying to say that you have options, Elodie."

"I'm never going to be good enough to be an explorer. Why can't you accept that?" Elodie snapped. Upon hearing herself, she sighed and stood up, grabbing the Egg basket. "I'm going to go for a walk and clear my head."

* * *

She went over back to Emerald Park, where she sat on one of the benches and cuddled up with her Egg in its blanket.

"Oh Egg, I feel so lost. I want to be more than just a server in some rinky-dink town," she whispered, watching the flowers sway in the breeze.

The Egg did nothing. It sat there comfortably in her lap.

"You're right, Adam was just trying to be supportive in his own way. And if he can find work in that town, I'll support him too. But how will we get there…?"

Elodie sat there for almost two hours, lost in thought. Eventually she had to go back to town, for the night was approaching and with it an unbearable chill. She found Adam waiting for her at the edge of town, holding a sugar-glazed bun.

Upon seeing her, he smiled and offered it to her. She took it, noticing there was a large bite already taken out of it.

"Had to make sure it was fit for your consumption. It's alright. You make better ones though," he chuckled. His tone was light, but his eyes were worried. He was testing her, feeling out her mood.

Elodie took a deep breath. "I was having a pity party and I took it out on you. I'm sorry I snapped."

"It's alright, Cin. And listen, about Briar's Creek—"

"Actually, I've been thinking that over," she interrupted. "I hate this place, and we both have opportunities over there. I think we should move."


	4. Chapter 2 The Treasure Under the Mt

**Chapter 2. The Treasure Under the** **Mountain**

* * *

Elodie gasped as she surfaced from the chilly, rushing waters of the river. "Ah! Cold! _COLD!"_

Adam laughed as he jumped in, splashing more water all over her head. "You awake now, El?"

The two Pokemon had finally arrived at the outskirts of Briar's Creek after a three week-long journey through Estwell. Exhausted and bedraggled, Elodie and Adam were currently washing up as best as they could before they went into town. On the bank sat their Egg, safe and snug in its basket.

By day the duo had walked, only stopping for the night when they could absolutely go no further. Most of southern Estwell—and by extension Aruvia, since Estwell was comprised of the center and most of the south of the continent—was home to fertile farmland, and kindly farmers almost always let them spend the night indoors in exchange for some chores. The few times Elodie and Adam were turned away, they waited until well after the homeowners were asleep before sneaking a rest in their barns.

There had been only a night or two when they were forced to sleep out in the elements. Even though Adam made fires and found shelters that were mostly covered, Elodie was still surprised their Egg had survived the freezing nights. Each morning she had made sure to check it for signs of rot. But it prevailed.

Adam and a shivering Elodie climbed out of the river, laying down in the warm March sun to dry off.

"You got your share of the money?" Adam asked.

Elodie nodded, patting her coin purse. About a week ago, they'd come across a merchant with a broken wheel on his carriage. Adam had fixed it for him, and the ecstatic merchant had gifted the couple a large sum of Poké, bringing their current funds to 1200 Poké.

"And ask for Grimmsnarl," she added, echoing what a knowledgeable traveler had told them while on the road. This Grimmsnarl was said to own the cheapest houses in all Briar's. Said traveler had also revealed that the person Adam would be speaking to was in fact a fellow metalsmith, much to Adam's joy.

"Shall we?" Adam asked, sitting up and holding out a hand. She took it, and together they stood up.

* * *

After half an hour, following the creek west led them to a cluster of teeny cabins hidden amongst the woods. The first house was larger than the others, and held a sign saying 'Landlord' on the door.

"Mind if I go on ahead?" Adam asked.

Elodie nodded. "Go get 'em."

"Same to you, El," he said, giving her a quick kiss on the forehead before bounding down the uneven path before disappearing into the woods beyond.

Once she couldn't see him anymore, Elodie knocked on the landlord's door. After a moment, a hulking Grimmsnarl answered.

"Hi, I'm looking to rent a cabin?" Elodie smiled up at the dour brute. Grimmsnarl stared at her with an annoyed expression, then grabbed a key ring off his desk and shuffled outside.

"C'mere," he muttered.

He led Elodie past a small communal firepit, a small well, then to the cabin closest to where the dirt path disappeared into the trees. The ground was lumpy and uneven due to tree roots, and many of the cabins looked as if they needed a fresh coat of paint.

Grimmsnarl opened the creaking door, and gestured for Elodie to look inside.

It was a one-room cabin, and in desperate need of some TLC. Dirt was caked all over the floor and walls, and hay was poking out of the lone mattress. In the top-right corner sat a woodfire stove, and beside the bed was a leaky water basin. Elodie forced her smile to remain on her face. It was only temporary, she told herself. And besides, with their budget, it was either this or nothing at all.

"Looks good!" she chirped. "We'll take it."

"Rent's 600 Poké a month. First month's due upfront," Grimmsnarl grumped.

Elodie handed out 400. Soon, Adam would be doing the exact same thing with his own landlord, albeit with 600 Poké instead. "I only have 400 now, but what if I give you 800 next month?"

Grimmsnarl paused for a moment, nodding his head back and forth in consideration. Finally, he took the coins from Elodie's hand. "Bathhouse has the blue sign."

"Thank you so much! I promise we'll get it all by next month! Um, where exactly is town, by the way?" Elodie asked sheepishly.

Grimmsnarl shrugged a shoulder at the path Adam ran down, stacking the Poké in his hands. Seeing as that was all she'd get out of him, she set off down the road.

The path led to Briar's Creek after about a five minute walk through the woods. The terrain grew flatter and more open, and the path widened significantly to accompany the heart of the town. Pokemon of all types and species walked the streets, many of them wearing badges that marked them as explorers. No doubt they were here for the event.

Elodie flattened her wings against her body. There were so many of them here…

As she walked further west, she noticed that this main strip seemed to cater to exploration teams. There were the Kecleon Brother markets, a Slowking teaching a Florges how to use Psychic, and a Kangaskhan handed a Beldum a Cleanse Orb.

The creek made an abrupt turn as Elodie wandered. She crossed a small wooden bridge, then another as the creek turned yet again.

Now she found herself in the shopping district. There was the bank, run by a plump Diggersby; a Sceptile decreed that her vegetables were the best in town, and a middle-aged Volbeat took a finished pot of out a kiln.

Just where _was_ the registration place?

She stopped in front of a large restaurant named Anna's that offered a scenic riverside view. Maybe it was in here?

The atmosphere inside was lively and animated. Waiters hurried to and from the kitchen, while patrons scarfed down food with gusto. Most of the diners were clearly exploration teams; right next to Elodie were a Venonat and Omanyte discussing whether they should do a local job tomorrow. Other tables poured over maps while they ate, planning expeditions Elodie was sure to envy.

Taking a deep breath, she stepped further into the restaurant, closing the door behind her. She spotted a large corkboard with notices tacked on next to the bar, which was manned by a smiling Ribombee washing a mug.

Curious, Elodie walked over, passing a Shinx wolfing down plate after plate of food while his Nickit companion puzzled over today's crossword.

'_Looking for a Heal Seed…' 'Can someone escort me through the Hall of Echoes?' 'Team Rainstorm, we challenge you!' _read the papers on the the place to register, it would seem.

She looked back and forth between the board and the Ribombee. It actually wouldn't be a bad thing to have a backup plan just in case…

Spotting Elodie looking at her, the Ribombee smiled a greeting at the Togetic.

"Can I help you, sugar?" she asked with a thick southern drawl.

"Um, hi, can I speak to the manager please?"

"You can speak to me; I'm Anna!"

"Oh, alright, um, hi I'm Elodie, and uh, I'd like to apply for a job here. I have almost 6 years' worth of experience as a waitress, or I can be an assistant cook. I'm really good at both, or I can just clean tables, whatever's available, and…"

Elodie's babbling trailed off as she watched Anna's face grow more and more apologetic.

"I'm real sorry, hon, but I'm all good on staff right now. But if anything pops up, I'll let you know," she said sympathetically.

Elodie swallowed the lump growing in her throat. "Oh. Oh, okay. Thanks."

As she plodded towards the door, she was approached by the Nickit.

"Pardon my asking, but do you need help, dear?" she asked. Her tone was refined and every word clearly enunciated. It reminded Elodie of the nobles' voices back in her old country of Loresh.

"Oh. Um, yes, actually. I'm looking for the place you go to register for the exploration event," she replied.

"Allow me to show you the way. I actually need to register myself. I'm Holly," the Nickit said, holding out her paw.

"Elodie. And thank you," Elodie smiled sheepishly, taking her paw in hers.

Holly led Elodie out the door and to Briar's Creek's Exploration Federation building, where registration was. The two ladies chatted about Elodie and life in Briar's. Holly, as it turns out, was only three years older than Elodie, and had been an explorer for six.

This Exploration building was almost exactly the same as the one in Murkmire. The first floor was dedicated to paying out rewards and officially recognizing teams' successes, while upstairs led to, as Holly put it, "Secret Exploration stuff us rank-and-file aren't privy to. Usually."

A Silicobra was hunched over a table, and perked up when Holly and Elodie approached.

"Afternoon, Holly! I was starting to wonder if Team Daybreak would be participating this year," he greeted.

"But of course! This is Elodie. She's new in town and wants to register as a solo participant," Holly laughed. Then, to Elodie, "This is Silicobra. He's the head of this branch of the EF."

"A pleasure to have you, Elodie! Now, just sign here…"

* * *

A Cottonee, Glameow, and Beldum were walking towards the building when Elodie and Holly finally finished registering and exited. Holly grumbled upon spotting their approach.

"Oh goody, here come Team Diamond Standard. Don't acknowledge them, dear, and hope they ignore us."

They did not.

"Hey Holly, why are ye helpin' the enemy?" the Cottonee demanded, stalking up to the them. His accent was thick and distinctly highlander.

"All I did was show Elodie where to register. Is common courtesy too much even for you, James?" Holly shrugged, her voice syrupy-sweet.

James snorted, and looked Elodie up and down. "Doesn't seem like much, does she?"

"Another wannabe dirtying up the competition. Let the real explorers play, lady," the Glameow purred, her tail twitching back and forth.

Blushing, Elodie brought the Egg basket up to her chin. A sliver of the Egg escaped from its blanket.

"Ooh, and a workin' mother to boot! What, don't ye have a man to take care o' ye? Dinna break yer nails, girl! Stay home and take care o' the kids!" James laughed.

"At least I have someone who loves me!" Elodie retorted, turning to stomp away from the awful trio.

"Do ye even know who the father is?" James cackled behind her.

Elodie whipped around, fingertips glowing, about to unleash hellfire down on the Cottonee when Holly put a paw on her hand.

"Don't rise to the bait, dear, they're not worth the trouble," she advised. Elodie snarled, but let go of her Metronome after a moment's consideration.

Team Diamond Standard laughed and pushed past them, shoulder-checking Elodie and Holly on their way inside.

"I, however, don't mind it," Holly muttered just loud enough for Elodie to hear.

Before Elodie could blink Holly had scooped up a pebble and flung it at James's head, where it landed with a solid _thunk _on his cottony cranium. He spun around, only to see Holly nonchalantly washing her paw and Elodie holding her basket close to her chest.

"Don't ye even dare," he growled, backing up a few steps before storming inside in a huff with his group.

Silicobra was by their side not a moment later.

"Holly…" he began with a stern glare at the Nickit.

"I know, I know, but you saw how they were mocking Elodie. She can't start a new life in Briar's with a black mark already next to her name!" Holly cut him off.

"Rules are rules, Holly. All five of you are close to a suspension; one more fight and you're off duty for two weeks," the serpentine Pokemon warned. Then, in a softer tone, "But I assure you James and his team will know how to properly treat newcomers by the day's end."

"I figured they would. And Ev and I will keep our noses clean," Holly promised. Satisfied, Silicobra went back inside, leaving the two women alone.

"Hah…sorry about that, darling. Here, you and your fiancé have dinner on me at Anna's. I recommend the Briar Special. Don't give me that look, take it for goodness sakes! It's a welcome gift to a fellow explorer. Now I hate to leave you all alone, but I need to settle our bill before Everett bankrupts us. Ta-ta!" Holly said, trotting back towards the restaurant.

* * *

Elodie held the 50 Poké tightly in one hand as she went to go look for Adam. She had no idea where the forge was, so she followed the path west through more woods and small hills. In a gap through the trees to her right she spotted a two-story lodge atop a large hill in the distance. She couldn't make out much of the details in the dwindling twilight, but she did spot an abundance of small decorations surrounding the mansion, most of them rectangular in shape.

A couple minutes later, she arrived at a large cottage with an even larger garden with the creek trailing lazily in the front yard. A Comfey was washing cloth in the river and looked up at Elodie's approach.

"Good evening, how may I be of service?" he asked politely.

"Hi, I'm looking for a forge? My fiancé, a Breloom, was going to check it out," Elodie answered.

"CJ! Who's out there?! Is it Setarrans?!" a screechy female voiced bellowed from inside the cottage.

"No Granny, go back to bed!" the Comfey—CJ—yelled back.

To Elodie, he smiled apologetically. "Sorry, my family's from Corelle…" She nodded as if she understood.

"Anyway, you're actually pretty close. Just keeping going past our house, and you'll get there in like, 10 minutes. I take it you're new here?"

Elodie nodded again. "Yes, we've just moved in today."

CJ's face lit up. "Oh! Tomorrow I'll have to give you a welcoming gift."

"Oh no, that's quite alright. Um, who lives in that mansion on the hill?" Elodie asked, pointing back towards the town.

CJ made a face. "Oh…That would be Team Blood Moon. They're ah…_eccentric_. And morbid. They're very morbid. So much so they live in the middle of a graveyard."

Elodie's blood froze. So the rectangular shapes she spotted were…headstones?! She shuddered.

"Yes, that's everyone's reaction," CJ shrugged. "But anyway, my family are the apothecaries of Briar's Creek, so if you're ever ill or injured, now you know where we are."

Elodie agreed, and bid CJ goodbye. Just as he said, 10 minutes later she arrived at the forge. Adam and an elderly Sawk leaning on a cane were in the middle of conversation out front when Adam noticed her approach.

"Elodie! What are you doing here?" he asked.

The Sawk laughed, which turned into a wheeze. "Heh heh, I'll be seein' ya later, Adam. Good night."

"I came to find you. So how's it going over here?"

"Fantastic! Sawk's gonna sell his forge to me! Tomorrow me and some other Pokemon are going on a day trip to get ore. I'll have to get up very early. How was your day?" Adam beamed.

"Just as good as yours. Everyone's so nice here!" Elodie exclaimed. Then, remembering Team Diamond Standard, she amended, "Well, almost everyone."

"Did something happen?"

She laced her hand over his. "Tell you over dinner?"

* * *

The next morning had Elodie scrambling out the door at 10:30. She hadn't meant to sleep this late! Lumpy mattress and raggedy blanket be damned; sleeping in an actual bed after almost a month of travel was apparently just what her exhausted body had needed!

"Oh! Egg!" she gasped, racing back inside to grab the Egg on the mattress, plop it in its basket, and run back outside.

_Argh, why didn't Adam wake me?! _She thought as she soared down the path leading into town. _Ugh, he probably thought I needed the sleep, or that I looked so peaceful he just couldn't bear disturbing me._

She took out her coin purse with her free hand, counting their remaining money. 200 Poké. 20 of it would be spent on apple tart ingredients to celebrate Adam's return, if the prices here in Estwell were similar to Loresh's.

She arrived in the heart of town five minutes later, out of breath and rather lost. A couple quick questions to a passing Toxel garnered directions to all the places she needed to visit today.

First she needed to find a decent set of pillows and towels. Then some pots and pans. And finally, a long visit at the farmer's market.

Morning turned to noon, then late afternoon by the time Elodie was done shopping. Her arms were laden with bags, most of it food. She had to buy a lot of second-rate items, but she came out of it with 33 Poké to spare.

"Ugh, first a nap, then baking," she muttered as she passed Anna's.

"Oh, there you are Elodie!" she heard Holly call from behind. She turned to see the Nickit leading a crowd of Pokemon, all heading towards her.

"Hi. What's all this?" Elodie asked. Holly beamed.

"We wanted to give you a proper welcome to Briar's Creek, of course!" she laughed.

Her Shinx friend strode forward with a basket in his mouth. He set it down carefully at Elodie's feet.

"We haven't officially met, but I'm Everett," he said with a slight but noticeable highland accent similar to James's. "I'm the leader of Team Daybreak. This is for ye."

Elodie opened the basket lid to find a thick blue blanket inside.

"The one on top is from us, for your Egg. I noticed it could use something more comfortable to lie on," Holly explained as Elodie unfurled a beautiful cobalt blanket decorated with little embroidered sailboats. The hand-knitted fabric was soft but thick, and was the perfect size for her Egg basket.

Underneath it were three jars of blueberry jam, courtesy of CJ and his father. Then Silicobra stepped up, gifting Elodie with various seeds from his vegetable garden. One by one the various shopkeepers gave Elodie a welcome gift, from a new set of pillows to some scented soaps to use in the bathhouse.

Then a Chikorita Elodie didn't recognize came forward, pushing a wooden box almost her size. "My granddad said to give these to you. He's out with your Breloom right now. I'm Terry."

Elodie took the box from the struggling teenager, peering inside to find an ornate set of dishes painted with gold trim around moon-white lilies. "These are beautiful…"

"They were my grandma's," Terry informed. "We don't really use them. Granddad thought they suited you guys more than us."

After thanking the Chikorita, an unknown Grotle stepped forward, handing Elodie a card. "Afternoon, I'm Grotle. I'm here on behalf of Anna. This is a free meal ticket, redeemable anytime for any menu item."

"I can't accept all of this!" Elodie exclaimed, tears welling up in her eyes once the crowd had finished their gifting.

"Well we're not gonna take it back, so there," Terry mock-pouted.

"All of us want you, Adam, and your child to feel at home here. Aruvia's a big place, and we know it can be tough getting started," Silicobra said with a gentle smile.

"In Setarra, where I'm from, unity means everything. Everyone helps everyone when they can, and however they can. It's a philosophy that I think all Pokemon should take to heart, not just Setarrans," Holly added.

Elodie wiped off a tear crawling down her cheek. "I…Thank you."

Satisfied, most of the shopkeepers and Grotle returned to work, leaving behind Holly, Everett, Terry, and Silicobra.

"Good luck tomorrow, Elodie. Dinna let the crowd scare ye; we're all explorers just like ye," Everett smiled up at her.

"It's all in good fun," Silicobra agreed.

She doubted she'd make much of a competitor, but she smiled and nodded. With that, the remaining Pokemon bid her farewell.

Wiping off a second tear, she looked at the pile of gifts at her feet. "How am I going to carry all of this home…?"

* * *

The sky was awash in pinks and oranges when she returned to the cabin, arms laden with the town's gifts and the things she bought. She could barely see what was in front of her, and every step threatened to topple some of the items she carried. She had to stop three times to pick up a fallen item.

Her arms almost numb, she let the pile fall out of her grasp with a relieved gasp. It was only then did she notice the Deino and Duskull standing by her door. Elodie jumped.

"Oh, um, hello," Elodie recovered, cautiously getting a closer look at the duo. The two Pokemon were laden with piercings and chain bracelets, and they both looked as though they hadn't slept in days. The Deino wore a pentagram necklace etched in odd symbols.

"Good evening," the Duskull nodded in a raspy monotone. "We are Team Blood Moon. I'm Blair, and this is Regan. We too have a gift for you."

Regan opened up the pack on her flank and handed a small clay pot to Elodie. Handle-less and plain, its only decorations was its light sea green color. Elodie opened the lid slowly, trying to hide her wariness. What could the team who lived in a graveyard want to give _her_?

Upon seeing the contents nearly filled to the brim of the pot, she relaxed.

"Oh," Elodie said. "Salt. Thanks, I'll make great use of it."

"I'm sure. Salt is wonderful for a myriad of things," Blair nodded. "Preserving the deceased, purifying a cursed area…"

"Or warding off evil," Regan added. Elodie blinked, and closed the lid.

"Oh. Uh, I mostly use it to cook, but um…I'll keep those other things in mind."

"Please do. We'd hate for anything malicious to happen to you or your Egg," Blair remarked. A chill ran down Elodie's spine, and before she could reply the creepy team bowed.

"We'll be leaving now. Take care, Elodie," Regan said as they shuffled back towards their mansion.

Elodie shuddered once she couldn't see them anymore. Holly hadn't been kidding! And how did they know her name, when she never introduced herself?

She was spared from answering that thought as Adam and an aged Bastiodon lumbered into view carrying a mountain of ore on a cart. The pile teetered and tottered as the two men heaved it down the path, carefully supervised by a Masquerain.

"Hi, Elodie! I'm back!" Adam called upon spotting her at the door.

After checking with the Bastiodon, he set his arm of the cart on the Bastiodon's back and raced up to embrace her. She set down the pot of salt and embraced him back and with just as much love. After a moment she let go, asking if the Bastiodon needed any help.

"Kind of you, but I can make it to the forge. Name's Darien, and the quiet one above us is Leah. I see Terry's already given you the flatware and such," the Bastiodon rumbled in a deep bass tone, ambling up to them.

"I'm Elodie, and yes she did. Thank you so much! Are you sure you want to give it away?"

"It's only gathering dust in my house, better it be put to use. Adam tells us you'll be competing in the expedition tomorrow?" Darien shrugged. A small piece of ore started to fall from the pile, but was quickly caught and replaced by Leah.

Elodie's smile turned forced. The whole town was excited for her, but that would change once they saw how awful she truly was at exploring. "Y-Yeah, I am."

Darien nodded. "So are we. Good luck to you. Adam, I've got to keep on moving; I'll meet you at the forge."

Elodie and Adam watched as Darien and Leah made their way past the cabins and into town. Once they couldn't be seen anymore Adam turned to the pile of gifts with a puzzled expression. "What's all this?"

"Gifts from Pokemon in town. You wouldn't believe how many people wanted to welcome us here!" Elodie exclaimed, leaning against Adam's shoulder.

"I think we made the right choice in coming here. How are you feeling about the future?" Adam agreed, bending down to pick in the Egg basket. He held a clawed hand against the smooth surface of the cream-colored Egg, rubbing it gently.

"I don't know what I'll end up doing, but I know you'll succeed at least," she admitted honestly, putting her hand on top of Adam's.

"And you will too," the Breloom vowed. "I've gotta get going and help Team Moxie unload. I'll see you in an hour and a half," he said, kissing her forehead before racing off into the sunset.

Smiling, Elodie looked down at her Egg, holding the basket close to her chest.

"Maybe things won't be so bad," she whispered to it.

Ignoring the mountain of gifts, she strode inside with a joyful hum. She had a tart to make.


	5. Chapter 5

"I can't do it," Elodie whispered, every muscle frozen in fear.

Adam tapped his foot impatiently as he stood in their doorway. "You've already registered."

"It's not too late to cancel."

"You're participating, Elodie, whether you like it or not."

"I can't…"

With an impatient sigh, Adam strode forward, and scooped Elodie up into his arms. She squeaked, and squirmed in his grasp as he marched them both out of the door and toward Briar's.

"Stop it, or I might drop the Egg!"

Elodie ceased her struggles, and Adam carefully set her down. One of their neighbors gave them a curious glance as he passed by. "You gonna walk, or do I have to carry you the entire way?"

Groaning, Elodie shook her head. "I'll go, I'll go…"

* * *

The event took place north of Briar's Creek, a few miles past Anna's. The terrain grew slightly inclined, and the duo arrived at the base of a mountain that didn't quite reach the clouds. The sky was almost cloudless, with only a slight wind. The woods gave way to a massive field, and the mountain's entrance was blocked by a wooden gate emblazoned with the EF's logo. Near the gate was a large white platform.

The field itself was abuzz with Pokemon! Explorers of all species and types mingled, joking and laughing with each other. They appeared to be segregated, as they all stood in one of four fenced rings underneath a different flag.

The flag closest to Elodie was black with golden hands and paws raised towards the center, linked together by a blood-red chain.

The section to the right of that one was the largest of all, and claimed by a leaf-green flag with a black cross that intersected on the left third of the fabric. Elodie noticed Holly and Everett inside, chatting merrily with a Houndour.

Behind the green flag, Elodie spotted a teal flag outlined in burnt orange, with a white center depicting a Pokemon she didn't recognize.

To the left of that flag, behind the black one, was the tiniest section. Only three Pokemon (a Walrein, Bergmite, and Mamoswine) stood inside, underneath a neon-orange flag with a maroon flame in the center, surrounded by smaller flames.

"Over here, Elodie!" she turned to see Silicobra waving his tail at her from behind a table.

"Best of luck," Adam said, kissing her cheek before going to stand with the other onlookers at the edge of the field.

"Thanks," she whispered.

"Glad to see you! Please read this waiver, and sign here…" Silicobra grinned when she strolled up.

After signing her name, Silicobra handed her a bag. Peering inside, she found an Escape Orb and a key. She estimated it could hold about 14 more items.

"What are these for?" she asked, holding up the Orb and key.

"You'll find out in a second. Just head over to the Estwell section, and I'll start the event shortly," Silicobra winked, nodding towards the fenced area underneath the green flag.

Elodie gave him a wan smile and headed to her section. She didn't have much time to mingle with the other Estwellans, for Silicobra soon finished checking everyone in and made his way onto the platform.

"Good afternoon everyone!" he beamed, using Screech to amplify his voice across the field. "Welcome to the 47th annual Spring Fling here in beautiful Briar's Creek, Estwell! My name is Silicobra, and I'm the host of this area's branch of the Exploration Federation. We hope you find this year's event riveting!"

The crowd cheered.

"That's what I like to hear! Now, let us welcome each of our participants! First up is us, the bountiful, lush Estwell!"

The audience and other countries applauded the teams underneath Elodie's flag. She blushed, and shyly waved a hand while her countrymen whooped and hollered right back.

"Next are our hardy neighbors to the west: Setarra!"

The Pokemon underneath the black and gold flag either waved or flexed their—impressively toned—muscles. Elodie caught herself staring at a Shiftry with arms as thick as her head and hastily turned her gaze elsewhere.

"Next is our only team from the icy tundras of Nyr: Team Permafrost!"

The Walrein, Bergmite, and Mamoswine underneath the orange flag stared coolly ahead, acting as if nothing was going on.

"And finally, our vibrant eastern neighbors, Corelle!"

The Pokemon under the teal banner cheered and applauded just as heartily as everyone else, jumping with enthusiasm.

"There you have it, folks! I know everyone's _dying _to know what this year's theme is, so without further ado, this year's theme is…TREASURE HUNT!" Silicobra continued.

Many participants cheered, while some others groaned or sighed in disappointment.

"When you all checked in, each team was given a key. That key will open a box at the halfway point that contains an item that will help you find the treasure. Which box is yours? Well, that's for you to find out! Cheating or attempting to vandalize other boxes will result in an automatic DQ. Getting kicked out will also result in a DQ. You may use your Escape Orb to surrender at any time. Yes, Team Dynamite?"

The crowd turned their attention to a Corellan Venonat and Omanyte with raised appendages.

"Is battling other teams allowed?" the Venonat asked.

"No. You may use items to create trouble for your opponents, but outright fighting is prohibited," Silicobra answered.

A mild murmur swept through the crowd as the Pokemon processed this information.

"The first team that finds the treasure wins whatever is inside! You may also keep whatever items you come across during your travels. Any other questions?"

"Do we have a time limit?" asked a Setarran Popplio.

"Nope! Explorers don't stop until the treasure has been found!" Silicobra beamed.

The crowd had nothing else to say.

"Alright, would the participants please head to the white line?"

The explorers hurried to the starting line, just a few yards away from the dungeon entrance. The crowd was relentless in their pushing, shoving—anything to get a spot towards the front. Elodie couldn't move even if she wanted to; she was firmly pressed between a Cufant and an Emboar.

"Get ready…" she dimly heard Silicobra shout. "Get set…and GO!"

The gate was opened, and a helpless Elodie was shoved into the darkness.

* * *

**Mt. Expedition**

**1F**

A crisp spring breeze brushed past Elodie as she landed roughly on her knees. She looked up from her spot on a grassy floor with small rocks scattered here and there, along with the occasional boulder. Pink, yellow, and purple crocuses peeked up at her through the tall grass. Surrounding her were moss-covered stone walls, with encouraging banners hung up against them.

"Good luck, explorers!" "Go, go, go!" "Do your best!" read some of the banners in her room.

"You're here now. Let's do this," she told herself, breaking out into a steady flight speed as she chose to go east.

Down the hall, through a teeny chamber, picked up a Rawst Berry—she was feeling good until she ran into her first enemy.

Coming from the only other exit in the room was a Poochyena, prowling straight for her.

"Dark-type. I can do this," Elodie murmured as she prepared for a fight.

Waggling her fingers earned her something large and wet getting stuck in her throat. Retching, she spat up a Mud Bomb in a rather unladylike fashion all over the approaching Poochyena. Squealing, it paused, rubbing mud from its eyes.

Still spitting up clods, Elodie followed up with a Sweet Kiss. Distracted as it was, the enemy did nothing to stop the pretty pink kiss from landing against its cheek.

It kicked at the ground, sending a Sandy Attack behind it.

"Yah!" Elodie shouted, flapping her wings and sending Magical Leaves flying from them.

The Leaves lacerated the Poochyena's body. Howling, it produced a Gravelrock from within its fur and tossed it near Elodie. It landed by her foot and without a moment's hesitation she threw it right back.

_Bonk! _It landed right on the top of its skull. Its eyes returned to normal, and before it could take revenge on her it was defeated by another Magical Leaf.

Picking up the three Gravelrocks it dropped, she brightened.

"Huh, maybe this won't be so bad after all!"

**2F**

It was.

The Poochyena, as it turned out, was nothing compared to the Weepinbell and Machoke she was currently brawling with, and it was only the second room of the second floor!

Smack! Whap! Elodie grimaced as her arms (protecting her face) took the brunt of a Dual Chop from the Machoke. Though she was highly resistant to dragon-type moves, the Machoke certainly knew how to hit!

So did the Weepinbell. Right as she lowered her arms for a counterattack, her entire front was engulfed in sticky, hot, neon purple Acid.

Elodie screamed, her skin burning all over from the poisonous liquid. She spread her wings and turned to flee, but her right foot was snatched up by the Machoke. It held her upside-down, a wide sneer on its toned face.

Its body began to glow a transparent yellow, gathering all of its Strength. Fear shot through Elodie, and she waggled her fingers, hoping to whomever would listen that Metronome would give her something useful.

A searing white light exploded across the room, blinding her two foes. Elodie was dropped, and she fell on her right wing unceremoniously as her vision remained mystically clear.

The blinding Flash began to fade, and she could see her two foes still had their eyes squeezed tightly shut. She took off, wincing with each flap of her wings. Ugh, she could _still_ feel the sting of that Acid!

The next room, to her relief, held no foes, only an apple. A few rooms later yielded a Heal Seed and a Cubone.

In no mood to deal with more enemies, she blew it a Sweet Kiss and flew on.

**3F**

Much to her delight, she had spawned a stone's throw away from the Stairs.

**4F**

_Someone was here with her._

That tingling sensation began the moment she stepped foot on this floor and persisted as she made her way through halls and foes alike. Finally, after nearly getting KO'd by an Onix, she discovered the source of the presence.

The sole Nyr team—Team Permafrost, right?—were approaching the Stairs while the Bergmite nibbled on an Oran Berry.

"Oh, hi!" Elodie called out in relief. "How are you guys holding up?"

The trio whipped around, hostility written all over their faces.

"Beat it, runt," the Walrein snarled as he threw some kind of Orb at her.

The Orb shattered at her feet, and Elodie felt an odd tugging sensation in her gut.

"What did—" she managed to say before she was warped away from the group.

Suddenly she was in a different room, and the _presence _was gone. The jerks had actually thrown a Warp Orb at her! Luckily she recognized where she was: only two rooms away from the Stairs. She flew back towards the Stair room, hoping she'd catch Team Permafrost on the next floor so she could give them a piece of her mind.

A Skiddo shouted behind her, then her leg was slashed with what felt like a Razor Leaf. Elodie winced but flew on.

**5F**

**Weather Condition: Sunny**

Well, no _not-alone_ tormented her, so Team Permafrost must've gone to some other layout.

Not two seconds after she arrived she suddenly found herself engulfed in a vicious Sand Tomb. Coughing, Elodie held up a hand to protect her eyes from the gritty sand as she turned to see who had attacked her.

There, slithering towards her, was a great big Onix. Alarm shot through her, and before it could attack she Yawned out a sleepy blue bubble, which popped gently in its face. The Onix's eyes started to droop, and with a low grumble it used the last of its waning strength to slap the ground with its tail, sending a Rock Slide hurtling for her.

"Yeek!" Elodie squeaked, flattening herself against the grass. The boulders soared over her head, and crashed harmlessly behind her.

As the Onix curled up for a nap, she was forced to wait until the Sand Tomb ended, wincing as her poor skin was whipped raw. Once freed, she unleashed a total of three Magical Leaves and a Metronome-turned-Magic Room upon the slumbering giant.

It disappeared without a fuss, and Elodie beamed. "I did it!"

She turned to walk down the only path, only to find herself face-to-face with a Skiddo. It spat a small yellow seed at her that implanted itself against her brain. Suddenly her thoughts were filled with anxiety.

_You'll never succeed. Adam will leave you. The Egg will rot. You'll be found out and sent back to Loresh for judgement. _

Oh Arceus, these were going to keep her up all night if this didn't stop!

Trying to ignore the thoughts plaguing her, she blew an unsteady Kiss at the Skiddo. It tossed a nearby pebble at the Kiss, which crashed against it harmlessly.

The still-distracted Elodie didn't notice as the Skiddo began charging. She was thankfully—albeit rudely—freed from her anxiety as she was rammed into the wall by its Take Down.

"Ugh!" she shouted, falling to the ground. Looking up to see it circling around for another go at her, she blew another Kiss. This time, the little pink Kiss landed on its forehead, and its eyes turned glassy.

It rammed into the wall a few feet from Elodie, who was back on her feet, waggling her fingers.

A Sweet, floral Scent wafted through the area, relaxing the Skiddo and distracting it further. Grumbling, Elodie tried again. This time, intense power coursed through her arms. She dove at the Skiddo with her arms shaped like an 'X'.

"Yah!" she shouted, bringing down her Cross Chop against her foe's back.

The Skiddo howled and snapped out of its confusion. It twirled around to face her, flinging Razor-sharp Leaves at her.

Too close to dodge, Elodie held up a hand in front of her face, wincing as the flurry cut and slashed at her. Once the Leaves dissipated, she Yawned a small blue bubble that floated lazily over and popped in front of the Skiddo. Its eyes started drooping, and it managed to get out another Razor Leaf before succumbing to slumber.

Waggling her fingers yielded great Flying power. She Flew up as high as the dungeon would allow, the Skiddo a mere pea-sized green dot on the ground. Then she dove, careening into her sleeping foe with all her might.

Both she and her opponent tumbled across the ground from the impact, where they came to a stop only after gently crashing into the wall. A bit dazed, Elodie stumbled for just a moment as she stood back up, awed that her foe hadn't fainted yet.

"Maybe this time?" she asked, waggling her fingers yet again.

Nope. She grew a small, bun-shaped Tail made of energy, which she then Whipped at her foe.

Sighing in annoyance, Elodie took out a Gravelrock and threw it against the Skiddo's side. It vanished with a loud snort.

"Hah…no more, please," she breathed a sigh of relief, slowly walking towards the next corridor.

The next few halls and chambers were enemy-free, and one even held an Oran Berry. Munching on it gladly, Elodie found the Stairs in the next room.

**6F**

REVIVER SEED!

She snatched up the little white seed like it was a million Poké and placed it firmly in the bottom of her bag.

Finally, a Reviver Seed! One free KO! Seeing as how her fights have been going so far, this was better than any treasure.

Elodie was so elated from her find she failed to notice the trap underneath her feet until it was too late.

_BOOOOM!_

She was flung backwards from a sudden explosion. Sliding across the ground, she lay still for several minutes until her vision steadied and the pain subsided.

"Ugh, what WAS that?" she winced, standing back up. The exposed trap had a picture of a Voltorb on it. "Oh. Selfdestruct. Jeez, that really hurt!"

Unfortunately she didn't have any more Oran Berries, so she was forced to walk it off. Soon she came upon a Geodude.

Who proceeded to use Selfdestruct.

_BOOOOM!_

Once again she was flung backwards, though this time she had the comfort that the Geodude was hurt too. Though every movement tormented her, she was _not _about to lose her Reviver Seed so soon. She forced herself to Yawn, and her opponent went peacefully to sleep.

Elodie rested for a few minutes before slowly getting back to her feet. The Geodude woke up just in time to be lacerated by a Magical Leaf.

She ducked underneath a Rock being Thrown—it was more of a Rock Chuck than a Rock Throw, really—at her head and blew a Kiss. The Geodude produced a Gravelrock from…somewhere?...and threw it at the wall. One more Magical Leaf did it in, and it left behind four more Gravelrocks.

The Stairs were a couple rooms later, but as she walked to them she triggered a Warp Trap. There was a tugging sensation in her gut, then she was warped to an unfamiliar area. A quick inspection revealed there was nothing of interest or familiar in this room. Deciding to go north, her decision led her to a room with an Evasion Orb and a Blast Seed.

After picking up the items she turned to leave and found herself touching foreheads with a Cubone.

Before she could react, the Cubone's eyes turned red with Rage. It knocked her down with a powerful sweep of its bone against her legs.

"Wah!" Elodie shrieked, hitting her head against the ground. Looking up, she saw the Cubone begin to Focus, and a fiery Energy began emanating from it.

"Nope!" she gasped, taking to the air as she flew passed the Cubone, into the next hall, and over a startled Weepinbell.

She zoomed through the dungeon, evading attacks by her two pursuers. Three rooms, then four, then finally—the Stairs! She could see them in the corner, freedom only meters away!

Something hot, sticky, and Acidic splashed all over her legs and belly. A burning pain erupted from where she was hit, and Elodie felt herself going down.

"Just a bit father!" she gritted her teeth, pumping her wings with her ebbing strength. Ten feet…five feet…two…

**7F**

_Vree!_

A bright white light obscured her view for a moment, then faded away as she miraculously found herself on the next floor.

Wincing, Elodie picked herself off the ground and started making her way east.

_Ugh, there goes my one Reviver. Hopefully I don't have much farth—_"OW!"

She yelped as something sharp pierced the bottom of her foot. She looked down to find a Poison Trap beneath her feet, its purple-tipped spikes retreating into their holes.

Right as the first wave of nausea hit, she downed her Heal Seed, sighing as the sickness went away as quickly as it had come.

Elodie hovered a few inches above the ground as she made her way through the floor, keeping pressure off of her sore foot.

The next room she came across was guarded by a Machoke, who wasted no time in speeding towards her, its entire body aglow in transparent yellow light in an awesome display of Strength.

Seeing an instant DQ in her immediate future, Elodie flew higher with a frightened shout. The Machoke, too absorbed in its sprinting, couldn't slow down before crashing headfirst into the wall. Elodie winced in sympathy, but flew closer for a Magical Leaf. The moment the enchanted leaves lacerated its skin, the Machoke pulled itself together with a roar and grabbed her foot.

With a loud boom, Elodie was thrown against the ground, colored spots dancing across her vision as she gasped for breath. The blood drained from her face as she watched the Machoke, standing above her, begin to glow yellow again.

Without thinking, she blew a Kiss. The Machoke didn't seem to notice it land against its cheek as it revved up its fist for a super-duper punch.

Elodie squeezed her eyes shut and prayed it wouldn't hurt too bad.

_SMASH!_

The ground next to her rumbled violently, and she opened her eyes to find the Machoke had punched the ground next to her. Inhaling sharply, Elodie immediately shot off another round of Magical Leaf.

The Machoke roared in pain, flailing around. One of its legs landed in her gut, and once again Elodie got the wind knocked out of her. Groaning, she got back into the air and tried a Metronome.

Lunar power filled her, and the white spots on her fingertips grew to become a large white orb now hovering above Elodie's head. She hurled the Moonblast down upon the unsuspecting Machoke, who had just given the wall a Scary Face.

Now freed from its confusion, the Machoke howled, and before she could react Elodie was grappled in both of its meaty hands, arms and wings pinned to her sides. As Elodie struggled to no avail, the Machoke prepared its Strength, then rammed Elodie against the wall.

"ACK!" she gasped as her vision went white for a second. She collapsed on the ground, taking a few deep breaths as the Machoke summoned all of its Strength for one final hit.

Blowing a feeble Kiss with her left hand, Elodie rummaged through her bag until she found her Blast Seed. While the Machoke kicked at nothing, Elodie stuffed the seed in her mouth. A deep burning sensation erupted from her throat, and as she opened her mouth to scream a plume of fire came out instead, scorching and singeing her foe.

The burning pain dissipated along with the flames, and Elodie stood up slowly, using the wall as leverage.

"Gah!" she yelled, sending out a Magical Leaf from her wings. Finally, _finally_, the Machoke disappeared into oblivion.

Elodie fell to her knees, exhausted from the effort. She stayed on the ground for a few minutes before feeling ready to move on.

Shaking her weary head, Elodie limped into the next room. Spotting some Poké nearby, she went to grab it when a cloud of pink gas wafted from underneath her.

"Oh—" Elodie started to mumble before nodding off.

A few minutes later, she woke up feeling a bit better. By some miracle, no enemies had found her while she'd been sleeping, and to top it off her foot hurt no longer!

Minding the Slumber Trap, she grabbed the Poké and hurried into the next room, where she found the Stairs.

**8F**

Holes in the ground had appeared now. Elodie peered into one, seeing nothing but the blue sky below. Goodness, had she really traveled so high up already? She shuddered, thankful that she had wings.

Something rammed into her back, and she tumbled face-first into the abyss. With a cry she flapped her wings, hovering above the drop, and turned to see her attacker.

A Skiddo. A vicious one too, judging by the look on its face.

"Look, I really don't have the energy to fight you," she told it as she followed the abyss west. The Skiddo kept pace with her, and she kept a watchful eye on it, ever careful to stay out of its range. Fortunately, the gaping hole it had rammed her into was large, and went in multiple directions.

Already her wings were getting tired. She needed to rest, otherwise she'd never make it out of here. She followed a narrow abyss-path south, finding herself nearly sandwiched between two walls. She found a small alcove just large enough for her to fit, and sat down. She leaned back, grateful to have found a safe place to rest.

Elodie didn't remember dozing off, but the sinking feeling of _something stirring _woke her right up.

A stiff breeze had begun to pick up, and with it came a faint sense that something sinister was approaching.

Gasping in fear, Elodie shot out of the alcove, soaring down the hallway. The Wind! She hadn't meant to nap, let alone stay here so long!

The abyss-path led her to a chamber, where a Poochyena had spotted her. It too noticed the sinister being approaching and was dancing back and forth on antsy paws.

She shot a Magical Leaf at it as she flew past, not having the time for a drawn-out fight. It Bit her as she passed, and she turned around for a quick Yawn. Dodging its Sand Attack, she flew down the western hall, where to her utmost relief were the Stairs.

A good thing too, as the Wind _was getting closer…_

**9F**

In this beginning chamber lay three things: an apple, a sleeping Machoke, and the Stairs. Tiptoeing past the slumbering Pokemon, she picked up the apple and munched on it as she quietly made her way for the Stairs.

**10F**

The good news was, the Stairs were in her starting chamber, allllll the way on the other side. The bad news was, there was an Onix in between her and her goal.

_If I can just get past it…_

Biting her lip, Elodie soared for the Stairs. Snorting at the unintimidating little Togetic flying its way, the Onix decided to amuse itself by throwing a Rock Slide at her. Twisting and ducking, she avoided the first two boulders, but the third caught her right on the wing. Shouting, she went down.

The Onix slammed the ground in front of her with its gargantuan tail, trapping her in a Sandy Tomb. Hissing at her skin being whipped raw, Elodie Yawned. The Onix responded by letting out an ear-piercing Screech that popped the Yawn bubble by sheer force alone. Elodie tripped and fell backwards at the unexpected uproar.

Ears ringing, the distracted Togetic was an easy target for the Onix's Rock Slide.

_Crunch! Boom! Smash! _Three boulders came down hard on her. Two crushed her wings while the other landed on her back. Elodie's world went black for a second, her entire body screaming in pain. On a lighter note, the Sand Tomb ended.

By all accounts she should have fainted immediately, but here she still lay. Panting as the boulders went away, she knew she wouldn't be able to take a normal slap, let alone another Rock Slide. Her lips didn't want to obey, but she forced them together long enough to blow a Kiss.

The Kiss fluttered across the battlefield, where they landed on the Onix's cheek.

Moaning with pain, Elodie forced her tired and agonized body past the confused Onix and across the room, where she fell down upon the Stairs.

—**Waypoint—**

Oh, thank _Arceus_ she made it to the halfway point!

Groaning, Elodie flopped against the soft dirt ground, taking a few minutes to rest and catch her breath. When she got back up, she noticed that the walls and floor of the waypoint were littered in boxes of all sizes and colors. So full was the room, she couldn't discern the layout, other than a narrow path cleared out leading to the upper peak. There were way more boxes than participants!

Just about all the boxes were open, their contents already taken and whisked to the summit. Elodie took out her small key, and gazed at the mountain of boxes surrounding her. Even with the majority opened, it would take forever to dig out any sealed ones from underneath the rest, let alone figure out which one her key opened.

"I'm dead last," she realized with a whisper, her heart sinking to her stomach as she picked through the boxes. Open, open, and more open ones. Every other participating team could have opened 3 apiece and have the rest leftover, she estimated.

She turned her gaze to the path leading to the upper peak. The foes were bound to be stronger, and she barely made it through the first half!

Moaning, she sat against the cold belly of the Kangaskhan Rock, drawing random shapes in the dirt with her finger.

"Why did I ever think I could do this? I can't even work with a group, let alone by myself! Stupid, stupid Elodie. You're a waitress, not an explorer! How many times do I have to embarrass myself before I finally realize that?!" she sobbed.

She put a hand over her bag. "Everyone's probably returning by now. Maybe no one will notice how I came back…"

She could picture it now: the winning team, surrounded by cheering Pokemon receiving good-natured congratulations from the other participants. Everyone would be too distracted to notice the blue light of an Escape Orb.

"Adam's gonna be so disappointed," Elodie lamented, biting her lip. "Should I just go on ahead and get myself KO'd instead?"

She peeked inside her coin purse, taking a quick count. Over ten floors she'd collected 341 Poké. That was almost half next month's rent.

"No, we can't afford to lose this. He'll understand."

With a condemned sigh, Elodie grabbed the arm of the Kangaskhan Rock with her left hand as she went to take out the Escape Orb with her right. She yanked on the arm to pull herself up, but instead the arm came with her!

The floor underneath her opened, and a startled Elodie fell into the hole, her hand slipping from the Rock's arm.

Suddenly her world darkened.

"Where am I?!" Elodie shouted, sending out a Magical Leaf.

Hovering, she saw from the faint glow of her Magical Leaf that the trapdoor gave way to some sort of tunnel slide that led to inky darkness. She could see a faint speck of light off in the distance, a lone pinprick in a sea of black.

"Hey! Are you there?!" an unfamiliar voice shouted from above. Elodie jumped.

"Who are you?" she yelled at the trapdoor.

"Gastly! I'm with the Federation! I'm so sorry; we had no idea that was there! Are you okay?! Stay right there, I'll get help!" the voice called back.

Elodie looked down, then back at the voice. If the EF hadn't known about the trap, did anyone? And where did this tunnel lead to? Treasure, maybe?

She made a decision in those split seconds. She called back up, "Don't worry about it!"

And dropped.


	6. Chapter 6

"Wahhhhhhhhh!" Elodie screamed as she slid further and further into the earth. The slide she was zooming along on was thankfully free of bumps, though being unable to see whatsoever canceled that gratuity out and then some.

The teeny speck of light she's seen earlier steadily grew larger and larger, until—

Elodie gasped as the slide gave way to level floor. She slid quite some distance before coming gently to a stop.

"Ouchhhh," she winced as she stood up, her back and hindquarters burning from all that friction. "Where am I?"

The light source came from luminous lichen that covered the room like a thick green blanket. From what little she could see, she was in a largish, plain chamber. A few ancient sconces were mounted on the walls, but with nothing to light them she was forced to ignore them. Walking west led her to what appeared to be another dungeon entrance, its inky darkness heralded by two larger sconces.

The corner next to the dungeon had a small object of some sort. Curious, Elodie went over to investigate. At first she thought it was a sleeping Lampent, but after a tentative nudge it turned out to just be a Lampent lantern, albeit a dust-covered one.

More exciting, though, was the ancient book of matches next to it. The first one crumbled into splinters the moment she touched it to the side of the box. The second refused to light.

Thankfully, the third and final match yielded a flame, and before it could go out she held it against the lantern wick.

Finally! Some light!

Now that Elodie had a better field of vision, she investigated the rest of the chamber, only to come up empty-handed.

"What is this place?" she wondered. "How long has it been since anyone else has been here?"

She looked at the dungeon entrance, then back to the slide. "I should probably go and get someone better suited for this…"

She started to undo the button securing her bag shut, then turned towards the ebony darkness. "…Or, maybe I should do some scouting first. That way, they know what they're getting into."

Filled with cautious glee, Elodie made her choice.

* * *

**Hidden Tunnel**

**B1F**

There was some of the glowing lichen around, but if not for her lantern she'd be walking almost blind. Even so, her depth of field's radius was only five or six meters. The floor was made of hard-packed dirt, the walls hollowed-out stone. Old sconces hung on the walls, or lay broken on the floor. The air was dry and stale. Dust covered everything like a wool blanket in winter.

Elodie coughed, sending dust scattering—which made her cough even more. Once things had settled, she took inventory of her items. A Rawst Berry, 6 Gravelrocks, an Apple, an Evasion Orb, the Escape Orb, and the treasure hunt key. Not much to work with, but it would have to do.

"Alright. The tunnel underneath the mountain leads to a dungeon. By the looks of things, no one's been here in years," she began as she walked down the path closest to her, practicing her report. "…So much so that some of the hallways have ended in cave-ins. You should bring proper equipment for *gulp* possibly unstable ceilings. Ohhh, what have I gotten myself into…?"

**B2F**

So far, Elodie hadn't come across any enemies. She was starting to wonder if there were any in this decrepit place. She had, however, found a Blast Seed, 103 Poké, and five Iron Thorns. Now if only she could find a canteen of water. How long had it been since she left home, anyway?

"…Sign of any other Pokemon down here," she was saying, navigating a sharp corner. "There's also no indication of how long this dungeon lasts. Bring plenty of supplies. Hm…I probably should try and fight an enemy, if I ever see one in order to get a feel of how strong they are."

She rounded another sharp turn, then quickly jumped back, flattening herself against the wall and covering the lantern as best she could. There, crossing a chamber, was a Lairon!

"…Erm, maybe not _that _one. But there are steel-types here."

**B3F**

From the moment she stepped foot on this floor, Elodie had the distinct feeling she was being watched. The skin on the back of her neck was perpetually raised, but whenever she turned around there was no one there.

"Be advised: dungeon may be haunted, or made to feel like it is," she narrated after yet another glance behind her.

"Keke!" It was faint, but she knew she heard a faint, mischievous laugh.

She walked forward a few paces before whipping around, Magical Leaves scouring the air for foes. But they could not locate any, and dissipated without success. But this time she saw what was stalking her.

In the distant echoes of her lantern's light, she could vaguely see a Haunter peeking at her from inside the wall, where it was safe from almost all attacks.

"Oho, so you're the one teasing me, huh?" she frowned at it, putting her hands on her hips.

"Keke!" it cackled at her, summoning a purple wave of malevolent energy.

"Eeyah!" she ducked underneath the Hex, feeling the woosh of air above her head as it just missed her head.

Before it could nail her while she was on the ground, she picked herself up and ran down the hall. She heard the Haunter laughing behind her, mocking her. Aha! The hallway opened into a large room. Getting an idea, she raced to the center where she was away from the walls and out of its range.

She set down her lantern and smiled triumphantly at the Haunter. "Ha! Now what will you do? Can hide from me anymore!"

Growling, the Haunter threw another Hex at her. She dodged it with no problem.

"Come on and fight me out here, you coward!"

The Haunter obeyed, its sclera turning an iridescent shade of white. Hypnosis! Elodie slammed her eyes shut and turned away from the mystic attack.

_How will I do this? Magical Leaf will be all but useless, and Metronome is unreliable…_

"Is that all you got? I'm bored. Yawnnn…" she Yawned.

So ticked was her foe that it didn't notice the Yawn bubble floating over and popping. With a snarl, it summoned a rusty nail with a wispy purple aura. It turned the pointed end of the nail towards its head and slow began pressing it into its flesh.

"Wait, stop, don't—Ugh!" Elodie winced as the Curse took hold of her.

A shudder shook through her body, forcing her to her knees. A deep throbbing pain began working its way through her feet, slowly spreading upward. Once it reached her head, unless she defeated the Haunter, she'd be doomed.

Her one credit was that the Haunter was now fast asleep. Her heart racing and her nether areas already aching, she blew a Kiss, then performed a Metronome. Her body became aflame in a blue aura tinged with white-hot energy. She lowered her Head and charged, Smashing it into her foe. The Haunter somersaulted backwards with a sleepy moan. Elodie moaned as well, for now the Curse had reached her lower body. Time was running out!

She took to the air despite the gnawing pain, using Metronome again. While her fingers wiggled, she drew upon her Hustle. There! Power surged through her body just as her wings turned a bright pale blue. With all her might she flapped her wings, hurling razor-sharp Hurricane fragments…everywhere _but _the Haunter.

Groaning (mostly from the Curse), she instead flipped open her bag and hurled an Iron Thorn. Perhaps it was from the pain, but the Haunter awoke, albeit confused. It hurled a Hex at nothing while Elodie opened her mouth for another Yawn.

Ack! Her Yawn turned into a gasp of pain as a bolt of agony stabbed her through the chest. The Curse was over halfway completed! Hearing her cry, the thoroughly annoyed and unconfused Haunter tried yet again to hit her with a Hex.

She tossed a Gravelrock that collided with the sinister wave midair. There was a small explosion, and Elodie took advantage of the noise to try another Metronome.

A pale green light shot from her body, wrapping around the Haunter. The beam pulsed red for a split second before returning to Elodie, bringing with it the energy it Absorbed from the Haunter, which was just barely above nothing at all. She grimaced and instead hurled a Thorn.

Finally! Just as the throbbing pain began to prick her chin, the Haunter disappeared without a trace. Gasping in relief as the Curse left her, she flopped to the ground to rest for a few moments, licking her dry lips.

"Ughh…Forget what I said earlier. Dungeon isn't haunted, just _Hauntered._"

**B4F**

Even with her lantern, she nearly missed the Stairs right in front of her!

**B5F**

Elodie gasped and leaped away from the Carkol as it Flame Charged over where she'd been standing a moment ago. It rolled around in a circle, coming to its original spot for another go at her. Feebly, she waggled her fingers, only to suddenly find herself contorting her body into a tight Coil before going back to normal. She didn't feel any stronger, but the move hadn't failed.

The Carkol tried a different tactic, summoning multiple large embers instead. The Incinerate hovered over its head for a second before hurling themselves at Elodie. She whipped up a Magical Leaf flurry, intercepting the embers and neutralizing them. Elodie scowled. In the glow of the Incinerate, she had spotted a Graveler behind the Carkol. And all this fire wasn't helping her thirst.

_Don't try to fight them both. Just flee. _

She Yawned twice, once at the Carkol, the other at the darkness where she last saw the Graveler. She turned to flee, but a fiery boulder slammed her down to the ground.

No, not a boulder, a Flame Charging Carkol, she realized over her screaming. Fortunately and unfortunately, it immediately fell asleep right on top of her. It woke back up just as she managed to extract herself from underneath its bulky mass. Its Graveler friend had also entered the radius of her lantern's light.

She blew Kisses and didn't look back to see if they hit.

Elodie continued her exploration of the floor in the same pattern: Sweet Kiss/Yawn her pursuers, walk a little bit, then repeat once they caught up to , she found the Stairs after half an hour of this charade.

She disappeared right as an Incinerate flew by.

**B6F**

Water!

Pools of water had appeared, shallow and close to the wall. Elodie stared down at the puddle in front of her thirstily. Precious water, but there was no telling if it was clean or not. Who knew what secret diseases lurked down here?

"Ha…so close, and yet so far…" she sighed, turning away. "If only I could boil it…"

"Wait, maybe I can!"

Elodie yanked open her bag and popped the Blast Seed into her burning sensation erupted in the back of her throat, and a moment later she expelled flames onto the water pool. A plume of steam exploded all around her, but she could hear the satisfying bubbling of boiled water.

She waited a minute for the steam to evaporate and for the water to cool before kneeling down and scooping handfuls of water to her mouth. Most of it had been vaporized, but there was still enough left for her to drink.

Despite being warm and stale, the water was the best thing she'd consumed all day! Once she'd drank her fill, she sat back with a blissful smile.

"Ahh…Now, back to scouting."

Her luck was not meant to last. Right after entering the next room, something green, smelly, and slimy sprang up from a Trap underneath her.

Elodie flinched, but no pain came. She looked down upon herself to see that she was now covered in green goo. It clung to her skin like glue and was near impossible to get rid of. Rubbing herself against the wall helped some, but a few stubborn globs still stuck to the underside of her wings and her head.

Unfortunately, some of the Sticky Trap gunk got inside her bag. Peeking inside, she found to her dismay that her Rawst Berry and Iron Thorns were stuck together and to the inside of the bag. No matter how hard she pulled and tugged, the items refused to break free. Eventually, she had to give up.

"Great. And those Thorns are so much better than my Gravelrocks, too," she sighed, floating along.

She heard a sound just ahead, out of the reach of her lantern. Not wishing to deal with enemies, she ducked inside an adjacent hallway, where she found an alcove just barely big enough for her to fit near the ceiling.

She set the lantern down and scrunched herself inside.

A moment later, a Golbat and Bronzor appeared, investigating the lantern. They nudged it and looked around the hall before shrugging and moving along.

Once she could no longer hear them, Elodie popped out of the alcove, stretching her wings gratefully before grabbing the lantern and returning to the path she'd come from.

"Six floors in. Nothing out of the ordinary."

**B7F**

While crossing a chamber, Elodie heard a heavy thumping sound behind her. She turned, and shrieked upon seeing a Lairon!

"Nope!" she Yawned before racing down the hallway she'd been walking to.

Not looking to see if the Yawn had landed, she flew down the long path and into—

MONSTER HOUSE!

Three Drilburs, two Golbats, a Bronzor, two Carkols, and three Gravelers dropped from the ceiling, all eyes focused on her. And those were the ones she could _see_.

Shrieking again, she turned to run away, only to see the Lairon's menacing face skulking at her from the edge of her lantern's light.

Elodie tore her bag open. Didn't she have a—YES! SHE DID!

She broke the Evasion Orb with no preamble and zoomed into the Monster House. The Evasion Orb allowed her to see attacks forming faster than normal, and she performed an odd aerial dance dodging so many projectiles thrown at her.

She twirled aside from an Air Cutter, dove underneath an Incinerate—oh, a Grass Gummi!—pirouetted above a Bronzor's Gyro Ball, and finally leaped onto—

The Stairs!

**B8F**

There was a Haunter in this room. It raised its glowing red hands and gave her a Mean Look.

A transparent red barrier suddenly sealed each of the room's exits, effectively trapping Elodie inside. Her pulse quickened. With no escape, could she defeat it?!

Her foe threw a Hex out of nowhere, striking Elodie right on her belly. Stifling a cry, she forced out a Yawn. Seeing the Haunter's eyes beginning to glow white, she turned away. Another Hex while she was asleep was almost guaranteed to KO her!

When the Haunter had fallen asleep, an idea came to her. She set her lantern down, then flew behind the Haunter, where she was swallowed up by darkness. Then she waited for it to wake.

Once it did, she quietly took out a Gravelrock and tossed it in a high arc where it thumped against the dirt floor on the outskirts of the lantern's light. The Haunter, seeing the movement as well as hearing the sound, immediately went over to investigate. Meanwhile, Metronome supplied Elodie with a deep purple portal. Jumping into it deposited her right behind the Haunter. With the Force of shadowy Phantoms bolstering her, she struck the Haunter. Then, before it could turn around, she brained it with another Gravelrock.

It vanished, and a tired Elodie waited a few moments before picking up her distraction Gravelrock and moving on.

To her utmost relief, the Stairs were in the next room!

**Hidden Hideout**

Was this it? Could this be the end?

Elodie gaped as she realized she'd actually made it to the end of the hidden tunnel!

The single room was small, but obviously once lived in. Against the far wall was old, rotten hay, beside it water jugs whose contents were long evaporated. In one corner lay a moldy pile of…something. She wrinkled her nose as she poked the musky crimson heap. Cloth, maybe?

She caught sight of a shelf next to the entrance. On it were three Boxes and a notebook. Touching the notebook made some of its ancient pages begin to crumble away, and Elodie drew her hand back hastily and focus her attention on the Boxes.

The one on the left was small and Dainty; red with a white trim painted to look like lace. The one in the middle was the largest and quite Heavy. This one was a solid navy blue all over. The last one was of medium size and weight, and its contents rattled when she picked it up for a closer look. This one's exterior was smoky gray, and felt as Hard as rock though it was relatively light. All were tightly locked, and Elodie feared to use force in case she damaged the items inside.

She took a good look around the room, memorizing the features before tucking the Boxes away in her bag and leaving the dungeon.

* * *

Elodie was forced to shut her eyes against the sudden onslaught of natural light after spending who knows how long in darkness.

"ELODIE!" she heard Adam's voice, then a moment later something large and heavy slammed into her.

Her eyes flew open out of surprise, and she would have fallen over if not for Adam tightly clinging to her, trembling fiercely.

"Hi! What's going on?" she asked in bewilderment.

"What's going—Elodie! They were just about to send someone in to fetch you! We all thought you were hurt, or worse!" Adam exclaimed, still refusing to release her.

"Huh? Why—Oh," Elodie took in the scenery. The sky when she had entered had been a brilliant blue. Now, it was orange streaked with pink. "I was inside for _that _long?!"

"Elodie!" "She's back!" "Is she okay?"

Others were approaching. One was Silicobra, others were participants of the event.

"Are you hurt, Elodie?" Silicobra fretted, his tongue flicking in and out in stress.

"No, not at all!"

"Thank goodness…" he sighed in relief.

"What happened?!" a Setarran Lickilicky asked.

"There's a dungeon underneath the Kangaskhan Rock! I managed to find my way to the end, and look!" Elodie brought out the three boxes.

Everyone's eyes widened and their jaws dropped. "What's inside them?!" "That little shrimp found _those?"_

"Okay, okay, settle down everyone!" Silicobra shouted over the din. "What matters is that Elodie is safe and sound. We will investigate the mystery dungeon tomorrow. Now, I'm sure she's tired, so leave them be!"


	7. Chap 3 One Light Grows,Another Goes Out

**Chapter 3. One Light Grows, Another Goes Out**

* * *

Elodie woke _much _too early to the sound of incessant knocking at the door.

"Mmmmmph I'm comin', I'm comin'," she mumbled, stumbling out of bed.

"Who is it?" Adam called sleepily.

"Silicobra, and my notary, Pyukumuku," Silicobra answered as Elodie opened the door. "Sorry to wake you up, but I need your full testimony on the dungeon you discovered yesterday."

"Why?" Elodie yawned.

Silicobra grimaced. "Because the reporters will be here soon, and I'd rather _I_ be the one to get mobbed than you."

_That _woke her up. After spending most of the night getting grilled by Adam, repeating it to a bunch of strangers sounded like torture. Elodie supposed she could recount her tale for Silicobra. As best and as thoroughly she could, she gave him the details of the events yesterday.

* * *

After a couple hours of painstakingly-thorough questions, Silicobra and Pyukumuku left. Now that she was awake, she and Adam decided to try and get the Boxes opened. Thanks to yesterday, Elodie had brought in a decent amount of Poké, bringing their meager savings to 605. They were almost halfway to next month's rent with plenty of time to get more once Adam opened up his smith!

They set out for the markets, Boxes and Egg basket in hand. Though tired, they had a spring in their step from the first income they'd gotten in a while.

Unfortunately, their good mood was not to last. As they arrived in town from the woods, they were ambushed by Team Diamond Standard.

"Hey, what's _she _doing with those Boxes?!" James demanded as his team surrounded them.

...All three of them had red stamps reading "CHEATER" on their foreheads.

"She found them yesterday," Kevin grumbled.

"Riiiiiight. Pfft, well, what are ye gonna even do with those? It's not like ye'll actually use whatever's in them. Give them to us; at least we're _real _explorer," James demanded.

"Wow, I didn't realize cheaters counted as 'real explorers'!"

The five turned to see a Beautifly, Bouffalant, Barbaracle, and Bibarel coming their way, annoyed expressions on their faces.

"Why don't you three creeps buzz off and leave the poor woman alone," the Beautiflysaid. Her accent was similar to Holly's, only thicker.

"She won those Boxes fair and square. Unlike some of us, who tried to steal them from the Federation," the Bibarelagreed.

Team DS grumbled, but chastised, slunk away towards the heart of town.

Elodie breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you-?"

"Team B-Four," the Bouffalantsupplied.

"We're just about to head home," the Barbaraclesaid, nodding west. "Congrats on finding that dungeon. We've been up Mt. Expedition for a few years and never even knew about it."

After saying goodbye, the team left.

As Elodie and Adam passed Anna's, a highland voice called out to them.

"Ah, they ye are, Elodie!"

Elodie and Adam turned to find Holly and Everett bounding towards them.

"We're about to go on a short job request. We were wondering if ye'd like to join us," Everett continued.

Elodie froze. "I-"

"She'd love to," Adam quickly silenced her with a kiss.

She stared at her traitor fiancé incredulously. "Adam!"

Her new ex took the basket and Boxes from her hands and nudged her towards Team Daybreak. "I'm just going to be setting up all day once I get these open. It'll be boring. Go have fun,"

_'_Fun', _he says, _she thought with an inward grimace.

Elodie bit her lip, but upon seeing Everett and Holly's hopeful faces, she couldn't bear to let her new friends down.

"Fine," she sighed, resigning herself to an awful day.

* * *

**Hall of Echoes**

Team Daybreak led her to a rock wall in the middle of the forest north of town and west of Mt. Expedition. The entrance was nothing but an upside-down cone-shaped crack in the wall. Next to the hole was a wooden sign warning travelers of the dungeon's existence.

A light rain had started during their trek to the dungeon, but someone had thoughtfully constructed a small awning above the sign and entrance. Elodie had elected to wear Team Daybreak's bag in the hopes it would keep her out of most of the fighting.

"Okay. We've been here hundreds of times. It's not too bad; a little weaker than the mountain. Our client is asking for five Stun Seeds. Ye ready?" Everett asked.

Against her better judgement, Elodie said yes.

**B1F**

"Welcome to the Hall of Echoes, Elodie!" Everett laughed, his voice echoing for many seconds after speaking.

Well, at least she knew why the dungeon was named so. The trio stood on parched, dry dirt with dandelions and a few sprigs of grass growing from the cracks that fractured the earth like shattered glass. The room they stood in was wide and grand; it could probably hold a Wailord, albeit uncomfortably. Large pink flowers, some weeds, and many shrubs grew near the rugged rock walls, though some strayed towards the center of the room.

The light was dim, though after a moment Elodie's eyes adjusted well enough.

"Dinna worry; we'll take care of ye," he continued, catching her nervous expression.

"Every time I join someone, I always get us kicked out," she whispered, wings flattened against her sides.

"Oh? Well, don't be afraid to use us as living shields, dear. You're our guest, you know," Holly winked, brushing up against Elodie's side.

"Y-yeah..."

**B2F**

_Vree!_

After being pummeled by a Rockruff's Rock Tomb, that sound was her deepest fear come to life.

Once the blinding white light faded, she found herself watching Holly dive for the Rockruff, her dark Assurance in hand. Bam! One touch, and it was gone.

"I'm _so_ sorry!" Elodie cried, stumbling to her feet. Every single time-!

"It happens!" "We have more, dinna worry!" Holly and Everett shouted back as they both evaded another Rock Tomb.

"Isn't there a shortage, though? I just wasted one of your Revivers..." Elodie drooped, watching as the Rockruff was knocked out from an Assurance from behind.

"Eh, we all faint every now and then. This just means Holly and I gotta do better protecting our guest!" Everett shrugged while Holly gave her a pat on the shoulder.

Elodie said nothing, but as she followed the two seasoned explorers, she promised herself she wouldn't get in the way again.

**B3F**

So far, the trio had found two Stun Seeds. Upon returning to the room with the Stairs, they were set upon by a Braixen and Woobat.

Everett Charged his electric power, sparks flying from his fur. Holly sharpened her Claws against the rock wall, Honing them to a needle-fine point. Elodie, not wanting to be left out, decided to see what Metronome would bring her.

An intense pressure erupted from the center of her forehead, and when it subsided, she felt as though she could punch a tree right off the ground.

"Nothing like a good stat boost, eh Elodie?" Everett joked, noticing her Acupressure.

Their enemies weren't as impressed. Waving its stick at her, the Braixen shot a multicolored Psybeam.

"I got ye!" Everett shouted, diving in front of the attack. He grimaced under the weight of the blow, but shook it off after a moment.

Before Elodie could thank him, he launched himself at the Braixen, Sparks flying from his coat. The Braixen stumbled into the Woobat behind it, knocking them both down and causing Holly to miss her Quick Attack.

Elodie blew a Kiss, then a Yawn at the distracted enemies. Her Kiss landed on the Woobat, but not the Yawn.

Like a Zubat out of hell, the Braixen was immediately on Elodie with a Flame Charge. Screaming, she tried knocking it away with a Magical Leaf, but most of the attack was burnt to cinders amidst the fiery inferno engulfing her.

Suddenly, the Braixen was off of her and the flames were gone. Elodie had just enough time to witness Everett's Spark settle down, and the fire-type disappear. As she scarfed down an Oran Berry, Holly nailed the Woobat with Quick Attack, then a follow-up Snarl got rid of it.

"Ha...thanks for saving me," Elodie breathed a sign of relief as she sat down to rest.

"Any time," Everett winked.

**B4F**

Though the Stairs were in their beginning chamber, the mission dictated that they at least search the floor first before descending. As it turned out, this floor only held four rooms with no Stun Seeds in any of them.

**B5F**

"They're saying yer an honorary winner, Elodie," Everett was saying as they scoured a room for items.

"Really? But I didn't even make it past the halfway point!"

"But you found an unknown dungeon right under everyone's noses! For 50 years explorers have traversed that mountain, and none of them found what you did!" Holly rebutted, placing an Oran Berry in Elodie's bag.

"Mmph, it was by pure randomness I stumbled across that trapdoor. Who won the main event, anyway?" Elodie grimaced, steering the conversation off of her.

"Team Flash Point. While the rest of us were digging and brawling away on the mountaintop, they solved the puzzle and found the Deluxe Box," Everett sighed.

"'Flash Point'? That sounds familiar...who are they comprised of?" Elodie frowned. Their name rung a bell, but where had she heard it?

"Their leader is Darrow-he's an Arcanine-followed by Camerupt, Lurantis, and Electrike," Holly listed.

Ah, now she remembered!

"Oh, _them_! I got rescued by them once," she exclaimed.

"Lucky," Everett sighed.

**B6F**

"Grr-upmh!" Everett shouted through a mouthful of Meditite.

With a shriek, their enemy vanished without a trace.

"Ha...So, Elodie, where are ye from? I dinna recognize your accent," he panted, giving his flank a quick wash.

"Hm? Oh, Loresh. It's a hop, skip, and a jump across the ocean. Me and my fiancé moved here to raise our Egg in a better place. What about you?" she replied, offering him an Oran Berry.

He declined with a swish of his tail. "Dotssu Valley. It's the part of the land where Estwell, Nyr, and Corelle meet, over in the northeast. Nothing but highlands and simple country folk up there."

Elodie turned to Holly. "And you? Didn't you say you were from Setarra? That country's to the west, right?"

"It is. I left due to family drama," Holly said, waving her paw dismissively. Though her tone was light, Elodie had the distinct feeling it was a touchy topic for the Nickit.

Elodie decided to drop the subject.

**B7F**

A Roggenrola had picked up a precious Reviver Seed. Still feeling guilty about B2F, Elodie wanted to defeat it. Everett Leered at it, while Holly asked Elodie to use Magical Leaf.

She obliged, and as the small rock-type blanched from the lacerations, Holly dove upon it, her left paw aglow in purple energy. She slammed her Assurance down upon it, sending the Roggenrola flying across the room.

It landed on its feet, albeit with a brief stumble, and summoned a gold orb of energy in front of its body. It fired the orb at Elodie, who was too slow to dodge. Upon contact with her, the orb exploded, forcing her to the ground.

Well, it's a good thing she had only been hovering, otherwise the Smack Down would have knocked the wind out of her. She looked up to see it charging for her, summoning another Smack Down as it ducked underneath Everett's Bite and Holly's Assurance. In a blind panic, she sent out Magical Leaf.

The Roggenrola vanished just as it almost reached her.

"Are you alright, dear?" Holly asked, coming over beside her

Rather than answer, Elodie elected to eat an Oran Berry while she tried to still her shivering wings.

**B8F**

There! Smack dab in the middle of the room was the last Stun Seed they were looking for! Unfortunately, a Meditite was right next to it. It leaped upon Holly, placing its right hand on her forehead. A green shockwave of pure Force erupted from its Palm, and soon a shout erupted from Holly.

"Ye okay?!" Everett yelled, sending the Meditite back with a Sparky tackle.

"N-no," Holly grimaced. "Can't move,"

Her limbs trembled as she tried to move them, but to no avail.

"One sec," Elodie said, blowing a Sweet Kiss at the distracted Meditite. The Kiss landed, and while Everett kept it busy she flew over and gave Holly a Cheri Berry.

After three quick bites, the Nickit recovered, giving her thanks.

"Let's finish it afore it snaps out!" Everett said, leaping to join the women.

While the Meditite tried Force Palming the air, the trio dove upon it with a simultaneous Bite, Magical Leaf, and Assurance.

It vanished without a sound.

Laughing, the trio high-fived one another.

"And that's that! What'd ye think, Elodie?" Everett grinned, handing the Stun Seed to her.

Elodie matched his smile. "This is the first time in a while I've completed a mission!"

* * *

Team Daybreak beamed themselves and Elodie out with their explorer badges. Holly extended an invitation to join them for dinner at Anna's, but Elodie declined, saying she already had plans.

Adam came home a few hours later covered in sweat. His face brightened when he saw her, and brightened even more when he noticed the pot pie she was taking out of the oven.

"Hey, Cin! How'd it go today?" he asked, wrapping an arm around her shoulder and giving her a quick kiss.

Though he desperately needed a bath, she let him stay and leaned into his cheek with a smile on her face.

"It was nice."


	8. Chapter 8

Elodie and Adam had just finished eating breakfast when there was a knock at the door. This time it turned out to be Team Daybreak asking if Elodie wanted to accompany them again.

"Why me?" Elodie asked.

Holly shrugged. "Well, we really enjoyed yesterday, and explorers have to stick together, right?"

"Besides," Everett added. "We're heading to Orchard Grove. Full of grass- and bug-types. Ye'll be fine."

Elodie paused to think. She _had _enjoyed herself yesterday despite wasting a Reviver Seed, but to tempt fate a second time?

She looked over at Adam, who had a completely neutral expression. Still, she knew exactly what he was thinking.

"Sure, I'll come."

* * *

**Orchard Grove**

After a long hike southwest of town, the trio arrived at the dungeon around noon. The path, heralded by berry trees of all kinds, led straight into inky darkness. They were not alone, however. Underneath a cloudy sky were Pokemon tending the forest, trimming branches and keeping the grass short and neat. From the flower buds just about covering the trees like a blanket, this year's harvest was going to be fruitful. Literally.

"Okay," Everett began, handing Elodie their bag. "Today's mission: look for Pincurchin! Early this morn, a Larvitar said he thought he saw a Pincurchin enter the Grove, and isn't sure if he came back out. We're to scour the whole dungeon and make sure Pincurchin made it out safe and sound!"

"Sounds good," Elodie nodded. "Um, the _entire _dungeon, you said? How long is it?"

"Only ten floors," Holly replied.

Only ten. She could do this. She could stay out of the way for ten floors.

**B1F**

Ah, the scent of blossoms of all shapes and sizes was in the air! Amidst a grassy floor covered in all sorts of flower petals was a delightful little forest. The trees grew close and thick, sealing the trio inside the dungeon. Scattered here and there were mossy logs and smooth rocks. Behind them was a tiny stream trickling across the room.

"Alright, let's hope our Pokemon just got a l'il lost and nothing more," Everett said.

The ladies nodded in agreement, and together they strode forward.

**B2F**

As they navigated the floor, Holly and Everett told Elodie about past themes at Mt. Expedition. Some years, a mystery Pokemon volunteered to play the part of an outlaw. The participants' objective was to be the team to defeat the 'villain' before anyone else did. Where or who the outlaw was? That was part of the game!

Other times, like last year, the Federation simulated a disaster and the teams had to find and rescue anyone 'stuck' in the dungeon. The team with the most rescues won.

"Basically," Everett explained, "It's part training, part game. We gotta use our exploration skills as well as have fun!"

**B3F**

"Behind ye, Elodie!"

Elodie turned around just in time to be knocked flat on her back by a Chespin's Tackle from behind.

Wincing as she got to her feet, she looked up to see it bowl Everett over in a similar fashion, albeit with Rollout instead.

Holly dove for it with Quick Attack as it circled around for another go. She got it, but it seemed to ignore the attack like it was nothing. It too ran her over, zooming right on past Elodie's Sweet Kiss attempt.

"Ugh, speedy little bugger isn't it?" Everett grimaced, Charging up his power.

Elodie tried to Kiss it again, but the Chespin made a sudden 180 and barreled straight into her!

Pain exploded from everywhere on her body, and the world went white.

_Vree!_

"Not again!" Elodie shouted, reviving just in time for Everett to slow it down with Spark. The Chespin stood there, hunched over, trying to move its paralyzed body. Team Daybreak quickly finished it off before it could do any more damage.

"A Rollout with a 60% power increase on a flying-type? Honestly, Elodie, I'd be more surprised if ye _hadn_'t fainted!" Everett consoled her while filching her bag for the newly-made Plain Seed. He popped it into his mouth.

"Mmph..." was all she could say.

**B4F**

Well, the Stairs were right next to them. None of them had that eerie _we're-not-alone_ feeling, so they went on ahead and descended.

**B5F**

"So what was so important ye dinna wanna spend time with us yesterday?" Everett mock-pouted during a lull in fighting.

"Oh, I had some vegetables I needed to use up. I made a pot pie for myself and Adam."

"Aww, how sweet! How long have you two been together?" Holly gushed.

"Dating for a year, then engaged for three months."

"Have ye set a date?"

"Oh, goodness, no! We don't have the time or money right now. We're still trying to get back on our feet after moving."

"Well, if you need anything, please let us know, dear. We'd be happy to help."

**B6F**

Team Daybreak and Elodie were immediately attacked upon their arrival on the floor. A Beedrill and Combee were lying in wait, and immediately dove upon the three explorers.

Bam! Bam bam bam!

Elodie was assaulted by a flurry of Fury Attacks from the Beedrill, while the Combee kept Holly away with Gust.

Elodie flapped her wings, sending a storm of Magical Leaves at her assailant while Everett Tackled the Combee out of its Gust.

The Beedrill, of course, shook the paltry little attack off and flung a hail of Poison Stings at her. She wailed as the little needles pricked her all over. Fortunately, while painful, she didn't appear to be poisoned.

"Yah!" Holly shouted, tackling the Beedrill. "You okay, Elodie?"

"I'll live...maybe," she winced, standing back up.

The Beedrill swung an arm over at Holly, firing off another volley of Poison Stings. While Holly was distracted, it turned to Elodie, jabbing her once, twice with Twineedle. This time, to her horror, she felt a dose of poison begin to flow through her veins. A sudden bout of nausea made her double over, and another Twineedle from the Beedrill against the back of her head had her face-down in the dirt.

It hurt to move. It hurt to even think. Elodie managed to look up just in time for Holly to KO the Beedrill with a combined Assurance-Spark with Everett.

As her vision faded, the last thing she saw was the Combee turn to aim one final blow of Gust at her before Everett leaped for it with another Spark...

_Vree!_

No, no, _no!_

Elodie stood up, tears in her eyes. "I'm going to go now. I'll reimburse you for the Escape Orb."

"Whoa there, nellie!" Everett dove for the Orb she was taking out. "Ye dinna get to leave just yet! The mission isn't done!"

"But I keep wasting your Reviver Seeds! Trust me, it's better if I quit before I ruin the job," Elodie sobbed, flopping down on the ground.

There was a moment of silence from the two Daybreaks, then they came over and sat next to her.

"...Ye know how my first job went?" Everett said after a while. "I lost to a Feebas. Tackled me right into an Explosion Trap. Now every time I see the wee fish or the Trap I get nervous."

"And I once got us kicked out because I forgot my Quick Attack wouldn't affect the Mimikyu we were fighting. One Play Rough later and I was waking up outside the dungeon. The point is, Elodie, that we all start out green. We all tangle with someone stronger than us at some point," Holly said, putting a paw around Elodie's shoulders.

"But I keep failing."

"Ye rush into battles even though yer moveset isn't suited for it," Everett said. "Next time we fight an enemy, stay back and wait for an opening to use yer Sweet Kisses and Yawns. Remember, battles aren't just about who's stronger than who. Ye have the power to turn tides in fights. Ye just gotta time it right."

Elodie was silent as she processed Everett's words.

"...Alright, I'll give it a try."

**B7F**

_Someone was here! _

Team Daybreak and Elodie perked up. Pincurchin?

"Hello?" Holly called out. "Pincurchin, are you here! Stay where you are; we're an exploration team!"

"No Pincurchin here, just us~" a male voice called back from somewhere nearby.

Everett's tail shot straight up into the air, and he bounded towards the voice at full speed. "CHARITYYYYYYYY!"

Elodie and Holly raced after him, navigating a winding hallway until they came upon a room. Inside the chamber was Everett, eagerly bouncing in front of a Chansey, Inkay, and Swirlix. From the Normal Rank badges on their chests and the bag over the Chansey's shoulder, they were a fellow team.

"It's nice to see you too, Ev!" the Inkay was laughing, bobbing a greeting in the air.

"Hello, Holly! Hello, stranger!" the Chansey hailed the women as they caught up to Everett.

"Good afternoon, Team Charity. We're looking for a Pincurchin; have you seen him by any chance?" Holly asked.

"No, but he may be on the last couple floors. Is he in trouble?" the Swirlix fretted, hugging her tail around herself.

"We hope not," Elodie answered. "I'm Elodie; I'm a guest explorer today."

Team Charity perked up. "Nice to meet you! We're Team Charity, and I'm Bea!" the Chansey beamed, shaking Elodie's hand vigorously.

"We're a special sort of team who travels dungeons solely to help out our fellow explorers. If you're low on food, we've got plenty to share! Can't find the Stairs? We've got Pure Seeds and Luminous Orbs too! I'm Nate, by the way," the Inkay laughed, doing a somersault.

"And I'm Lulu. We usually let others deal with fetch quests and outlaws, but our golden rule is to always lend a helping hand to all we come across!" the Swirlix finished.

"So? Need anything?" Bea prompted, holding out her bag. Nate nudged her. "Oh! Right!"

She fished out a Yellow Gummi and tossed it to Everett, who caught it between his teeth. It went down his throat in a flash.

"Thank ye!" he purred, giving his paw a wash.

"I think we're good for now, thanks. Do you know where the Stairs are?" Holly asked.

Lulu pointed with her tail to a path that lay due north. "Down that hall and take the next right!"

"Have this too!" Bea smiled, pressing a Foe-Seal Orb in Elodie's hands. "Could come in handy one day!"

With that, the teams parted ways. Charity to look for more items and Daybreak to look for their Pincurchin.

**B8F**

All three explorers were getting hungry. They found a teeny little room tucked in a corner of the floor, and settled down for a picnic. While Holly and Elodie were content with just an apple, Everett had himself not one, not two, but _three _Big Apples. Watching him wolf them down like he was starving was...impressive, to say the least.

"Huh. Now I know why you packed so many apples," was all Elodie could comment.

"I'm a growing boy," the Shinx winked.

**B9F**

The Stairs were here, and neither was any sense of _not-alone_. They descended.

**B10F**

They had reached the last floor, and there was still no sign of Pincurchin. Of course, there were plenty of good reasons why; perhaps he had left before Team Daybreak and Elodie arrived. Maybe their client had been mistaken about someone going in.

...Or maybe he was injured at the end.

**Orchard Grove Clearing**

The trio came to a clearing in the middle of the berry orchards. Tucked beneath the shade of a large apple tree was a small pond hidden by a curtail of cattails. Dotting the peaceful landscape were baby blue orchids as large as Elodie's head. A crisp breeze wafted through the clearing as the clouds overhead slowly gave way to the sky.

"Pincurchin!" "Pincurchin?" "Hey, are you here?"

No one answered their calls, and after a fruitless search of the surrounding foliage they were forced to admit no one was here.

"Well, we looked. That's all we can say," Everett shrugged, his tail curled like a question mark.

"When we get back I'll check and see if he showed up. If not, I'll talk to the EF and the constable," Holly agreed, biting her lip.

"I hope you find him. Thanks for having me along, and sorry about my KOs," Elodie winced.

"S'all good," shrugged Everett. "We'd invite ye to dinner again, but this time it's us who have things to do. See ya, Elodie."

* * *

Elodie opened the door to their apartment and was immediately greeted by the smell of pasta.

"Adam!" she exclaimed in joyful surprise, seeing her fiancé in front of the stove. "You're home early."

Adam turned just in time to be engulfed in Elodie's embrace.

"Team Moxie came by and gave me a hand. I'm opening tomorrow, and I thought I'd make dinner to celebrate," he explained in between Elodie's kisses.

"That's wonderful! Oh, I'd better bake them something to say thanks," Elodie beamed, ceasing her smooches.

Over a slightly-overcooked pot of spaghetti, the two Pokemon took turns narrating their day. There was no one in town who could open the Boxes, and Adam had had no time to fiddle with them himself, but promised he would when he could tomorrow. They fell asleep embraced in each others arms, smiles on their slumbering faces.


	9. Chapter 9

Elodie stood outside the mansion on the hill, surrounded by curious totems and charms. Taking a deep breath, she knocked on the heavy oak door, which was laden with various incenses. After a couple moments, Blair opened the door.

"Oh, Elodie," the Duskull said in her dreary, depressing monotone. "Are you here to pay respects to the dead?"

Blair's partner Regan appeared behind her like an apparition. "Or give the spirit realm an offering?"

Oh goodness, what had Elodie been thinking, coming up here to these two creepy goths?

"U-um, I came to give you these. As thanks for the salt. It uh, has really come in handy," she stammered, thrusting the basket she held into their faces.

Regan cocked her head, and lifted the cloth covering the contents. "Cookies?"

"Oatmeal raisin," Blair added, inspecting the contents. "How did you know these are our favorite? Are you a seer?"

"Oh, uh, no. I uh...just had a feeling. Uh...rescue any Pokemon lately?" Elodie asked lamely. Truth be told, she'd only baked them the cookies in the hopes that they wouldn't curse her or her family.

The two Blood Moons looked at her oddly.

"We are not a rescue team," Blair explained. "Our job is to give last rites to fallen explorers, and prepare them for the afterlife. Our somber task is to make sure that the spirit world and the mortal world remain in balance."

Ohhhh Arceus, this was too much.

"Oh," Elodie squeaked out.

Regan gave a dry, crackly laugh. "It is not a job for the faint of heart, indeed. We thank you for the cookies. Tonight is a full moon. Light three candles and patchouli incense, and you shall be spared from its lunatic glare."

That made no absolutely no sense, but she nodded anyway and made a hasty goodbye, desperate to get away from the mansion atop the hill behind town.

Fortunately, she spotted Everett and Holly departing from the bank once she'd gotten back into town.

"Good morning!" she called out to them, hurrying over. "How are you guys?"

"Mornin', Elodie. We're good. 'Bout to depart on another mission; wanna join us again?" Everett nodded a greeting.

"Yes! I've got a new strategy I'd like to try out..."

* * *

**Orchard Grove**

"Alright, team," Everett announced once they'd arrived. "Our dire mission: to get our client Linoone a Sleep Seed. Why he couldn't just buy one, we dinnae. But! He wants a Sleep Seed and a Sleep Seed he shall get! Any questions?!"

There were none.

"Good! Move out!"

**B1F**

Wouldn't you know it, there was a Beedrill waiting for them. Everett immediately dove at it with Spark, while Holly Honed her Claws against a nearby tree.

While they tangled with the Poison Bee Pokemon, Elodie took to the air, hovering over the battle. She yearned to dive in and help but forced herself to stay back.

_Wait until the time is right..._

There! As Holly was struck once, twice with Twineedle, Elodie popped off a sleepy Yawn as it reared back for another go. The bubble popped in front of its face, and its arms began to droop. It turned around to fire a clumsy Poison Sting that she didn't even need to try and dodge before collapsing into slumber.

A Spark and Quick Attack later, it was gone.

"Hey, nice work!" Everett exclaimed, giving Elodie a grin.

"Thanks!" she matched his with one of her own.

**B2F**

"Oh!" Holly gasped out of nowhere, startling Elodie and Everett. "I almost forgot to tell you! We found out what happened to Pincurchin!"

"Is he okay?!"

"Yeah, he is. Turns out he forgot his lunch so he popped into the dungeon-" Everett paused mid-sentence to give his belly a quick wash. "-to get some lunch. He had an Orb. He's embarrassed about causin' people to fret, but just fine."

Elodie sighed in relief.

**B3F**

After an unsuccessful floor-scouring, they returned to their starting chamber, where the Stairs lay.

**B4F**

"Leeeer..." Everett growled, Leering at the two Chespin they'd come across.

While the two grass-types blanched, Holly shot forward, Quickly Attacking the one on the left nearest her. Its friend recovered from its pause, and from the side of its head erupted a Vine Whip, slapping her upside the head.

Elodie was quick to Sweet Kiss that one, and got a Tackle from behind from the other Chespin for her trouble.

"Get offa her!" she heard Everett shout, then suddenly the weight on her back was gone, followed by a cry from the Chespin.

She stood up and Yawned at the foe Ev had pinned to the ground. Not missing a beat she followed up with a waggling of her fingers.

A red X appeared under the Chespin, and a purplish-red aura leaked out from it. The Chespin cried out, and the X disappeared.

Block. Well, it was something, at least.

Elodie turned her attention back to Holly, who had just taken another Vine Whip from her own Chespin adversary. She grabbed a Gravelrock from the bag and, aiming carefully, lobbed it.

Bonk! The Chespin disappeared instantly, and Holly flashed her a grateful grin.

Hearing a shout from Everett, the women turned to see him Spark his own foe into oblivion.

"Ha...thank you for the help, Elodie," Holly panted, accepting an Oran Berry.

"It's what I do," she blushed.

**B5F**

There had not been any fighting in a while, so Elodie busied herself with sorting Team Daybreak's bag as she walked. She hadn't noticed till now, but the contents looked as though a tornado had gone through it! Gravelrocks were mixed with Geo Pebbles, seeds interspersed with berries...

Elodie shook her head as she began the arduous process of untangling the mess. "How do you guys ever find anything in here?"

Everett only gave a pointed glance at Holly, who merely shrugged.

**B6F**

"How long have you guys been exploring?" Elodie asked as they crossed a spacious chamber.

"Lessee, I'm 25, so...four years? Four and a half?" Everett counted in his head.

"Technically since I was fifteen years old, but I've only been official for three," Holly said. "How about you, Elodie?"

"Oh, uh," Elodie coughed. "I've only ever been an amateur explorer, but I've uh...helped others explore since I was 17."

"Fond times?" Holly asked.

"Yeah. The fondest," Elodie replied softly, holding back a shudder.

**B7F**

"Found ye, ye l'il bugger!" Everett exclaimed, pouncing on a Sleep Seed.

He held up the pink-and-white seed, which almost resembled a blossom. The gems on their explorer badges began emanating light, and the trio were whisked out the dungeon.

* * *

"Did ye have fun, Elodie?" Everett asked on their way back to town.

Elodie grinned. "I did! Not once did I faint!"

"We've enjoyed having you with us as well. Which is why we'd like to ask you to join us," Holly beamed back.

Elodie stopped dead in her tracks. Deep down she'd had a feeling she would eventually be asked this...And she had decided her answer.

"I'd love to!"

She followed them to the EF headquarters, where she'd have to register first before officially joining Team Daybreak. While Holly and Everett dealt with their client, Silicobra was handing her a stack of paperwork six inches thick.

"Sorry to make you go through all this. Legal shenanigans and whatnot. Just return it here when you're done. It'll take about a day until you're an official explorer," he explained.

Elodie only looked at the thick stack in her hands and groaned.

* * *

Two hours later and she had barely made a dent in her paperwork when Adam came home looking dejected.

"Hey hon, how'd it go?" she asked absentmindedly while she signed her name for the umpteenth time.

"No one showed," he replied, flopping face-first down on their bed.

Elodie looked up. "Really? Oh no! Well, it's only Day 1. Maybe people haven't heard you've opened yet."

"Yeah, maybe. In any case, I had plenty of time to fiddle with your Boxes. No dice so far, but if this keeps up I'll probably have them opened by the end of the week," he said through a face full of mattress.

Elodie bit her lip. Hopefully Adam would get customers soon, for rent was approaching and they were only halfway there to making it. She returned to her scribbling with worry.

It was almost six when she decided to take a break. If she'd known just how extensive (or could understand legal-ese) she would have thought twice about agreeing to join Team Daybreak. Just what exactly was 'annual maintenance' or 'avarice of litigation of tenancy-in-common'?

Her head was starting to hurt from trying to decipher the paperwork. Shaking her head, she stood up from the table and went for the door.

"I'm going to Anna's. Be back later," she called to Adam.

* * *

One of Anna's waiters, a Carnivine, kindly pointed her to a private side-room to the left of the restaurant that had a perfect view of the bar. Inside were Holly, Everett, a Grotle, and the Comfey she'd met a few days ago. Holly, Ev, and the Comfey-CJ, she remembered-each had a pile of dice and pieces of paper in front of them. The Grotle, meanwhile, had a cardboard divider in front of him.

"Oh hey Elodie! What's up?" Everett greeted her as she came in.

"I need help with the paperwork. What are you all doing?" she asked, taking the seat Holly offered her.

"We're playing Dungeons and Dragons," CJ explained.

"I'm Zerek, a Lawful Evil Maractus rogue with a penchant for coin and women!" Everett cut in, flashing Elodie a sultry grin.

"I play a Lawful Neutral Lycanroc fighter named Roshmi. I was about to retire from the king's guard, but evil approaches the kingdom, and I must protect it at all cost!" Holly exclaimed, giving her a salute with her tail.

"I'm but a humble True Neutral Audino cleric named Ishkar. I serve the legendary Reshiram, and through his will I bring truth to a land wrought with lies," CJ said in a quiet, emotionless tone.

The Grotle raised a hand in greeting to Elodie. "Yo, name's Grotle. I work morning shift here at Anna's. I'm the DM. I'm but the humble narrator...who chooses whether to bless these three or curse them at a whim."

"Our goal: to defeat _her_," Everett said, pointing at Anna, who was busy chatting with a customer behind the bar.

Elodie furrowed her brow. "You're going to defeat Anna?"

"That's not Anna," CJ explained, shaking his head. "That's Mozorrah, the Lich Queen of Gog'Drzzl. She seeks to turn every living creature into her undead slaves."

"Plus we get free meals for three months if we can beat her," Holly added.

"This'll be our fifth attempt...but all that food will be mine one day, I swear it!" Everett exclaimed, shaking his fist.

"So, wanna join our noble band? We're only level 3, so you won't be too far behind," Grotle offered.

"Uh...sure? You'll have to teach me everything, though," Elodie blinked.

The group brightened, and Everett slapped a hearty paw on her shoulder. "Atta girl, Ellie! Welcome aboard! We'll help ye with the Exploration Federation stuff too. Now, let's make yer character..."

* * *

It was midnight by the time Elodie and the others called it a night. Her first session was complicated to understand, but rather enjoyable. After much discussion, she'd decided to be a Lawful Neutral sorcerer Togetic named Naveera. Eldritch powers manifested one day in the girl's simple farm life, and unable to control them, Naveera had accidentally slain her entire family. Now she was on a self-imposed exile, seeking atonement while also trying to be rid of this curse in her blood.

"So, Elodie, how'd it go?" Anna called from behind the bar, where she was wrapping up closing.

"Oh! Um, it was fun, though all the dice rolling and stats get confusing after a while."

Anna laughed. "Sounds like you had a good time! Question for you: are you satisfied with your current life?"

The tone shift in Anna's voice, plus the cold demeanor the Ribombee had suddenly taken on was enough to make Elodie's skin crawl.

"...Pardon?"

Anna's face curled into a coy smile. "I know about what happened to you. Such a tragedy, no?"

Elodie's blood ran cold. How could she have known?! Had Adam told her? But why?!

"I'm not sure I know what you mean," she replied, trying to keep her voice even.

"Oh come now, I know everything. Poor little Naveera, killing the people she loved. I can teach you how to control your powers, child. You'd never have to worry about killing innocent people again."

Elodie couldn't help but breath a sigh of relief. Anna was talking about D&D. Obviously.

"Aren't you evil, though?"

"I merely wish to give everyone eternal bliss. Imagine a world with no conflict, no wars. Everyone just doing their thing without a worry in the world. I could use a girl like you, Naveera. I'll admit, my knowledge of the realm is...lacking, I'm afraid. I'd like to offer you a position as my advisor on such matters. You'd be fed, clothed, housed, and perhaps I could even remove the powers you despise. What do you say?" Anna purred.

"What do you want in return?"

"Stop your new friends from interrupting my work. Of course I'm not asking you to kill them, sweet girl. I'd be content with you turning them away from their ignorant cause. The 'how' doesn't matter to me," Anna waved a hand dismissively.

Elodie paused. "...I'll think about it."

* * *

Elodie opened the door to her apartment just as Adam was rushing out. He crashed into her and sent them both tumbling to the ground.

"Elodie! Where have you been?!" he hissed, getting to his feet.

"At Anna's, like I said," Elodie blinked.

"Do you know what time it is?! I was just about to go find you!"

"Sorry, I got sidetracked. I was playing D&D with my friends."

"D and-I thought you were getting help for the paperwork?" Adam stared at her incredulously.

"I was doing that too. Sorry, I should have sent word I'd be staying late," Elodie looked down at the ground, abashed.

"Yes, you should have. Now get in here; we'll wake the neighbors."


	10. Chapter 10

Elodie sat on a stone bench in Darien's garden watching him talk with Adam, who was busy chopping wood for the older man. Though Adam was still miffed at her, he had agreed to come help the Bastiodon do morning chores as thanks for helping him set up his smithy. Elodie, knowing her fiance's penchant for silence when annoyed, kept out of the way.

Darien and his granddaughter Terry lived south of Briar's Creek, where a small fork in the creek trickled across their vast country backyard. The two lived in a brick cottage that was starting to become entangled in cardinal vine, where in the summer would explode in poppy-red blossoms.

Terry came out balancing a tray of lemonade carefully on the leaf atop her head. The Chikorita handed glasses to a grateful Adam and Darien before coming over to Elodie.

"Thanks for helping out. I hate chopping wood," the Chikorita informed Elodie as she sat down next to her.

Elodie drank the offered glass. "No problem. Actually, I too would like say thanks. Would you show me to your kitchen?"

An hour later, a steaming plate of apple turnovers were cooling in the windowsill. Elodie gathered plates and cutlery with Darien while Adam and Terry stacked the freshly-chopped wood against the shed behind the house.

Elodie was glad to see a smile on Adam's face, and even gladder watching him haul wood. Boy, was he strong...

"Nice view?" Darien cut in.

"Huh? Oh! Excuse me," Elodie could feel her face turning as red as a beet. "It's just nice to see him in a better mood is all."

Darien chuckled. "Yeah, he mentioned that. We talked. He said the physical labor helped, and he wanted me to tell you sorry for last night."

Elodie laughed. "Yep, that's his go-to whenever he's upset. Not that I mind...Um, anyway, thanks for giving him an ear. Here, tell me how these are."

Darien took a careful bite out of the turnover Elodie gave him, and his thick eyebrows shot up to the ceiling. "Absolutely delicious! Reminds me of my wife's old recipe, bless her soul. You have a real talent for baking."

Elodie waved him off. "It's nothing."

Adam and Terry came inside, both of them covered in sweat. Adam beamed when he saw Elodie, and burst into a grin once he smelled the turnovers.

"Her cooking is the best," he told Terry through a full mouth. Terry, also chowing down, nodded vehemently.

"After this I'd better find Everett and Holly," she told Adam.

"I heard you were joining Team Daybreak. They're good Pokemon," Darien approved.

"Indeed," she smiled back.

* * *

"Elodie!" she heard Holly call as she and Adam made their way through town after finishing the turnovers. They turned to see Team Daybreak run up to join them.

"There ye are! Now that yer an official Daybreaker, ye gotta help choose a job!" Everett chided.

Adam laughed, and kissed Elodie's cheek. "Looks like you'll be busy. See ya later, El."

"Bye," she called back, following Team Daybreak to Anna's.

"Shoot," Holly muttered upon entering Anna's. "Look who's at the boards."

Team Diamond Standard were just approaching the job boards, but after a moment of scanning decided to take none of them.

"Mornin'," Everett nodded to them diplomatically as the two teams passed each other.

The trio, with their red 'CHEATER' stamps still faintly visible upon their foreheads, snorted.

"Don't waste your time over there; there isn't any job worth taking," Lindsey grumbled, nodding back at the bulletins.

"What's she doing with you?" Kevin asked, staring at Elodie.

"Elodie's joined us," Everett beamed. Team DS burst out laughing.

"_Elodie?! _Yer acceptin' _her_?! Ha! S'pose I kinna be surprised. Ye lot'd take anyone," James chortled, wiping tears from his eyes.

"At least Holly and Everett are an honest pair," Elodie snapped. "I don't associate with frauds."

Whoops, that was the wrong thing to say. Team DS went deadly quiet, with Kevin trembling in anger and Lindsey's fur puffed up.

"Oh yeah? Let's see you back that up with a fight," Kevin snarled. "where you can't hide behind anyone."

"Deal," Holly the traitor agreed, her fur also raised.

James flipped a large gold coin of some sort at them. Everett caught it with one hand, glancing at it quickly before tucking it away.

"Hall o' Echoes, three o'clock. Sixth floor. No items," James stated.

"We'll be there," Everett promised.

"You'd better," Lindsey huffed as the trio pushed past Team Daybreak and out the door.

"Why'd you agree to that?! I can't fight _real _Pokemon just yet!" Elodie protested the moment Team DS were gone.

"Dinna think so low of yerself, Elodie. Challenge tokens are handed out like candy in the explorin' world. The fact that Team Zero Standard had one at the ready meant they woulda found a reason to fight us even if ye hadn't insulted them," Everett shrugged, showing her the golden coin James had tossed them.

"Besides, now you have the chance to get back at them for insulting your good name!" Holly added brightly.

Elodie groaned.

* * *

**Hall of Echoes**

**B1F**

"Ahhh, I haven't been able to legally punch the daylights outta James in forever! The Stairs are eager for us to get brawlin' too!" Everett laughed upon seeing the Stairs right next to them.

**B2F**

"Did ye have fun last night, Elodie?" he asked after arriving.

Elodie blinked. They wanted to talk about _that _at a time like _this?_ "Uh, yeah, sure. Uh, how did you turn into a plant in the middle of that fight with Sir Pendleson, though?"

"Oh, grass-types have a special ability where once a day they can attempt to disguise themselves as a plant. 'Tis why I'm a Maractus," Everett explained.

"But a _Maractus. _In a colder climate, you choose to be a _desert Pokemon. _Instant disadvantage,_" _Holly shook her head incredulously.

"'Tis what makes it so funny when I succeed!" Ev exclaimed. "Like last night!"

"You're the reason why I drink, Zerek," Holly grumbled in her character's deep, curt tone.

"Aw, but you love me. Don't blame ya," Everett replied in his own smarmy, smooth-as-silk voice, giving her a wink.

Elodie could only shake her head wearily.

**B3F**

"James is from Dotssu Valley too, isn't he? Your accents are the same," Elodie shouted over the Howl of a Braixen.

The trio were fighting it in a narrow, claustrophobic hallway barely big enough for Elodie and the Braixen to walk comfortably down. Holly was up front crouching low while Everett Leered at it from behind. Elodie was hovering above them both, trying to nail the Fox Pokemon with a Sweet Kiss.

"Yup. We grew up together," Everett yelled back as Holly silenced the Braixen with a Snarl. There! Elodie's Kiss landed while it was still reeling.

"Really? What happened, if I might ask?" Elodie asked, helping her team KO the fire-type with a simultaneous Assurance/Magical Leaf.

Everett shrugged. "We had the same dream, but different views on how to achieve it. Caused a fallin' out. Been rivals ever since."

Elodie didn't push the issue upon seeing Ev's tail start to droop.

**B4F**

"Shouldn't we be talking strategy?" Elodie asked after not hearing any for four floors. Her first boss fight _had _to go well!

"Ah, well, we usually treat it as a free-for-all, but there are a few things ye should keep in mind," Everett said in between washing his flank. "James likes to whittle yer health down with Poison Powder and Mega Drain, but he's horrible at multi-taskin'. Fightin' two of us at the same time should keep him distracted."

"Kevin only knows Take Down, of course, but he Take Downs excellently. I prefer keeping a wall at my back, then jumping out of the way so he crashes into it," Holly added.

"Lindsey tends to set up Growl and Hypnosis from afar, then dive in when it's safe. 'Tis best to keep her too busy to hypnotize ye."

Elodie nodded slowly, lost in thought. "If you can keep James and Lindsey busy, I can Yawn them. I can't do much offensive-wise to Kevin, but maybe I can Sweet Kiss him into ramming into terrain..."

"Sounds like a plan," Holly agreed.

**B5F**

"Ope, heads up, Rockruff's comin'," Everett announced after he rounded a corner.

Elodie flew higher as she and Holly came to join him. Sure enough, there was a Rockruff. It wasted no time summoning up a Rock Tomb to throw at Elodie.

"Sorry, but no," Holly tackled it against the wall mid-summon, and the boulders fell to the ground with a _boom!_

Everett wobbled from the shockwave, but recovered after a moment and gave it a Tackle of his own. While they had it pinned, Elodie flew in up close and personal to give it a Sweet Kiss.

The Rockruff's eyes went glassy, and when allowed to stand it tried to Rock Throw the air behind it.

A quick Magical Leaf-Assurance-Spark took it out.

**B6F**

This floor, being a Challenge Floor, was set up differently thanks to the token in Team Daybreak's bag. Though the terrain was still the same, the size of the floor was small; around 500 square feet long while the floor itself was shaped like a cone, with Team DB's side the wider half.

Team DS were waiting in the center.

"So ye showed up, huh?" James said by way of greeting.

"Would never pass this up," Everett returned.

Elodie and Lindsey both took off their bags and tossed them against the wall as per the agreed-upon rules.

"Before we begin, shall we discuss the usual?" Holly asked politely.

"The usual?" Elodie echoed.

"The penalty for losing. A little extra incentive, if you will," Lindsey explained.

"Lessee, if we win...ye guys have to dress up like minstrels and sing our _honest _praises for three days." Everett cracked a wolfish grin.

"Pfft, is that the best ye can come up with, Ev? When _we _win, ye all have to wear green dresses, lipstick, gold hoop earrin's, high heels, and headdresses adorned with fruit for 24 hours straight," James laughed.

"DONE!" Everett intoned before Holly or Elodie could consider.

* * *

**Boss Battle!**

Elodie pumped her wings, soaring high above the battlefield as the others dove in for the fight. Kevin, the only other flier, did a quick spin before speeding at her with a Take Down.

Elodie, however, figured he would try and maintain air superiority, and had flown to the ceiling. She dropped for a moment, evading his attack, and instead leading him to crash head-first into the ceiling. Dust and pebbles rained down on the ground fighters below.

As a dazed Kev floated down by her, she gave him a Kiss on his forehead. Suddenly her vision was filled with a pink swirling wind, followed shortly by pain.

"Git down here!" James snapped at her before being Tackled by Ev.

Meanwhile, Holly was knocked back from Lindsey thanks to the latter's Fury Swipes. Before Elodie could Yawn the Glameow, Lindsey had already gotten Holly with Hypnosis. The Nickit slumped to the ground, snoring softly. Scowling at her slowness, Elodie Yawned at Lindsey.

James sent Everett stumbling backwards with a point-blank Razor Leaf before turning and shaking a cloud of Poison Powder onto the helpless Holly. The sleeping woman shuddered upon being showered with the spores.

Lindsey couldn't fight the Yawn any longer and joined Holly in dream land. Hovering over the sleeping feline, Elodie sent her Magical Leaf out-but a wily James ripped the leaves to shreds with his own Razor Leaf.

Remembering Everett's advice, Elodie turned to face the Cottonee alongside Ev. An unspoken plan passes between the two Daybreakers, and together they rushed the highlander. Everett Charged while he ran, while Elodie began waggling her fingers. Paralyzed with indecision, James stood helplessly while Everett Tackled him and Elodie Bounced into the air.

After a moment, Elodie fell back down. James was too busy dealing with Everett; this was her big moment!

Or so she thought. Excited at the thought of defeating James, Elodie had completely forgotten about Kevin. Snapped out of his confusion, the Beldum rammed into Elodie mid-Bounce with his Take Down, sending her careening into the far wall.

"GAH!" she shouted as the rocky walls slammed into her back. Dazed, she sank to the floor, unable to do anything but watch as he turned his Take Down on the still-sleeping Holly.

The impact woke her up, and without missing a beat she Snarled, sending a purple shockwave of dark energy onto the recoiling Kevin before gagging from the poison. James once again nailed Ev with Razor Leaf, then while the Shinx was recovering from the blow he sent out a brilliant beam of green energy at Holly. The beam enveloped her, blinking red for a split moment-Holly cried out-before returning to James. A few of his bruises disappeared, and he stood straighter thanks to the healing power of Mega Drain.

Finally Elodie could stand again. Getting to her feet, she snuck a Yawn at Kev, who was preparing to Take Holly Down again. Her sleepy bubble popped in front of his eye.

"Really?" he called out to Elodie before falling asleep.

A Growl rung out across the battlefield just as Everett was about to Tackle James again. He faltered, and his attack hardly touched the Cottonee.

Well, Lindsey was awake again, it seemed.

Elodie pumped her wings, making it seem as if she was about to dive-bomb the Glameow. Mid-flight she whirled around, instead firing a Yawn at James. He got his Mega Drain off on Ev before he too fell asleep.

"Haha!" Everett cackled, going in for a Tackle on the sleeping grass-type.

"Forget it!" Kevin appeared out of nowhere, Take Downing Everett away like he did to Elodie.

Elodie's Metronome gave her Psycho Cut this time. Her right arm turned an iridescent pinkish-purple, and with a shout she sent a crescent-shaped Cut at Lindsey.

Howling with rage, the Glameow was on Elodie in a flash, raking her once, twice, thrice with Fury Swipes! A Snarl from Holly ended the assault on a hurting Elodie.

"Dont worry about me; I'll keep her occupied as long as I can," Holly said through gritted teeth, her face beginning to turn pale.

Elodie, vowing that Holly would not suffer much longer, turned towards the men. "I've got James-you take care of Kev!"

Ev nodded, jumping out of the way of Kevin's Take Down. While the Beldum recoiled from having crashed face-first into the wall, Everett tackled him to the ground with Spark.

Kevin snarled, but found he could hardly move. Elodie gasped. Paralysis!

"Awesome!" she cheered, giving the frustrated Beldum a Sweet Kiss.

A Leer then a Spark later, and Kev was down for good.

"Grahhhhhh!" James bellowed before blasting Elodie with Fairy Wind.

Tumbling backwards, Elodie's roll was stopped only by the unkind help from a particularly rough section of wall.

"Ye think yer so high an' mighty?!" James seethed, he and Everett going head-to-head. The two Pokemon were locked in a fierce grapple. "Even as lads ye allus thought yerself better than ev'ryone!"

"Like ye can't say the same," Everett retorted. "I'm not the one who pretends I ain't from Dotssu!"

Elodie made the wise decision not to get involved in this personal grudge. Instead, she looked over at the ladies, just in time to see Holly succumb to poison.

"I am me! Allus have been!" Everett shouted, pushing James to the ground. Before the Cottonee could retaliate, Everett was on him with Tackle. James somersaulted a few times, and lay still.

Before Elodie could open her mouth to congratulate him, Linds was on him with Feint Attack. The tired and injured Ev could do nothing to stop it, and with a breathy laugh he too fainted.

Lindsey turned to Elodie, a cool expression on her face. "It's just you and me now."

Elodie froze. How on earth did _she_ end up being the last to stand?! She got to her feet, wincing at a bruise on her foot. She had to avoid getting hit with Hypnosis at all costs if she wanted to win.

She quickly blew off a Sweet Kiss, which Linds threw a pebble at before tackling Elodie with Feint Attack.

_Gotta end this fast! _The tired Togetic thought frantically, sending her assailant away with Magical Leaf. When said assailant's eyes began to glow red, Elodie gasped and threw a scattering of rocks at the Glameow. The Hypnosis ended as Lindsey was pelted by pebbles.

Elodie flapped her wings, trying to gain the high ground.

"No you don't!" LIndsey hissed, leaping high to grab Elodie's foot.

Elodie was not a strong flier. The added weight was too much for her paltry wings to handle, and together they tumbled to the ground.

Lindsey wrapped her tail around Elodie's neck, forcing her to gaze into glowing red eyes.

Hypnosis!

No, no, no-! Elodie's eyelids began to droop, and a quick nap sounded like _just _the thing to make her feel better.

_No you don't, Elodie! You fall asleep and she'll make sure you faint!_

Lindsey released her, watching patiently as Elodie struggled against the Hypnosis. Finally, despite her best efforts to keep her eyelids open, she fell asleep.

* * *

"Ack..." Elodie groaned once she came to. "Sorry guys..."

"S'all good," Everett winced as he got up, nursing a bruise on his front leg. "We win some, we lose some."

"And losers ye are!" James cackled, with a pained cough at the end. "Tomorrow at dawn, we'll deliver yer penalty outfits. Oh, how I kinna _wait _to see how stupid ye'll look!"

Laughing mockingly, Team DS left. With the fight over, Holly, Everett, and Elodie had no choice but to follow them to the EF building.

* * *

After formally acknowledging Team Diamond Standard's win at the EF, Elodie dragged her tired body home. Not even being told she was now an official member of Team Daybreak had lifted her spirits. Adam was sitting on the bed lost in thought, idly rocking the Egg basket with a glum expression on his face.

"Bad day too?" Elodie greeted him, coming to join him. She took the Egg out of the basket and set it on their laps.

"Not one customer," he confirmed. Then, taking notice of her bruises, "What happened to you?"

"Challenged by Team Diamond Standard. We lost. No thanks to me. Oh, and we only have 37 Poké."

"Let's forgo dinner tonight. I'll see if I can find something tomorrow," Adam suggested.

Elodie, too ashamed to be hungry, had no problem agreeing.

The despondent couple laid their heads against each other's, softly stroking their Egg. It wiggled.

After a moment, Elodie realized what had just happened and turned to stare at Adam, whose shocked face mirrored her own.

"Did you feel that?!" they exclaimed at the same time. "I did!"

They stood up, bad moods instantly forgotten as they eagerly watched their Egg to see if it would move again.

"It moved! It moved! Adam!" Elodie squealed, holding him and her unborn child close to her chest.

"We're really parents..." he murmured, staring at it in wonder. "Hadn't really sunk in just yet..."

"No," Elodie agreed. "It hadn't."

Though the Egg didn't wiggle again, it didn't stop the two lovebirds from staring at it, unblinking, for hours until they fell asleep.


End file.
